The term Various Artists is used in the record industry when numerous singers and musicians collaborate on a song or collection of songs. Most often on Last.fm, compilation album tracks appear under the name of Various Artists erroneously because the individual artist is not listed in the album's ID3 information.
Compilation albums, for example.
Sometimes, single releases may be credited to Various Artists when their profits are going to charity and, usually in high-profile cases, are sometimes known by a group name. Examples include Band Aid with their releases of Do They Know It's Christmas? and USA for Africa with We Are The World.
Various Artists is also an actual performance name for Torsten Pröfrock, who runs the German DIN label. Torsten performs also as Dynamo, Erosion, Resilent, Traktor besides some others. He's a good friend of Robert Henke and since the Fall of 2004, he is a member of Monolake.
Various Artists was also a short-lived Bristol punk band formed by brothers Jonjo and Robin Key (originally from Birmingham). Other members were also simultaneously in Art Objects who went on to become The Blue Aeroplanes, the latter the Key brothers also co-wrote some songs and were involved in. When Various Artists imploded, the Key brothers went on to form Either / Or.
Various Artists also appear on tracks from musical theater soundtracks, due to the nature of having many cast members on one song, as well as an ensemble in some cases.
Thriller
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes,
You're paralyzed
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike
You know it's thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight
You hear the door slam and realize there's nowhere left to run
You feel the cold hand and wonder if you'll ever see the sun
You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination
But all the while you hear the creature creepin' up behind
You're out of time
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
There ain't no second chance against the thing with forty eyes
You know it's thriller, thriller night
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight
Night creatures call
And the dead start to walk in their masquerade
There's no escapin' the jaws of the alien this time (they're open wide)
This is the end of your life
They're out to get you, there's demons closing in on every side
They will possess you unless you change the number on your dial
Now is the time for you and I to cuddle close together
All thru the night I'll save you from the terrors on the screen,
I'll make you see
That it's a thriller, thriller night
'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would dare to try
Girl, this is thriller, thriller night
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller,
Thriller here tonight
(Rap performed by Vincent Price)
Darkness falls across the land
The midnite hour is close at hand
Creatures crawl in search of blood
To terrorize y'awl's neighborhood
And whosoever shall be found
Without the soul for getting down
Must stand and face the hounds of hell
And rot inside a corpse's shell
The foulest stench is in the air
The funk of forty thousand years
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Are closing in to seal your doom
And though you fight to stay alive
Your body starts to shiver
For no mere mortal can resist
The evil of the thriller
(Into maniacal laugh, in deep echo)
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" is a classic tale of horror that was released in 1984 as the seventh and final single from Jackson's album of the same name. The song opens with an eerie melody that sets the stage for the gory scene to come. The lyrics paint a picture of being stalked by a group of supernatural creatures that are determined to take the life of the singer. The opening lyrics describe a situation where something evil is lurking in the dark, and as the moonlight illuminates the scene, the singer sees a terrifying sight that almost stops their heart. As they try to scream, they realize that terror has taken their voice, and they are now paralyzed.
As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that there is no safe place to go as the creatures are closing in from every side. The rap by Vincent Price describes the impending doom in detail and warns that no mere mortal can resist the evil of the thriller. The chorus returns, and the singer is fighting for their life inside a killer, thriller tonight. However, all hope is not lost as Michael Jackson assures the frightened protagonist that he will protect her from the terrors on the screen.
Line by Line Meaning
It's close to midnight and something evil's lurking in the dark
As the night deepens, a malevolent presence begins to reveal itself.
Under the moonlight you see a sight that almost stops your heart
You witness an alarming phenomenon that grips your heart with terror.
You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it
You attempt to scream, but your terror overwhelms and strangles your voice.
You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes,
Chilled with fear, a vision of horror strikes you directly in the eye.
You're paralyzed
Completely petrified, unable to move or react.
'Cause this is thriller, thriller night
This is a terrifying, hair-raising night, a thrilling experience for all.
And no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike
You're on your own with a ferocious monster about to pounce.
You know it's thriller, thriller night
You're aware of the unnerving nature of this event.
You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight
You're struggling frantically for survival in the midst of a lethal and thrilling chaos.
You hear the door slam and realize there's nowhere left to run
With the sound of the door shutting, you understand there's no more escape.
You feel the cold hand and wonder if you'll ever see the sun
Feeling an icy grip, you doubt if you'll ever see sunlight again.
You close your eyes and hope that this is just imagination
With your eyes shut tight, you're praying that this is all just a trick of the mind.
But all the while you hear the creature creepin' up behind
Although you're in denial, you hear the beast sneaking up on you from behind.
You're out of time
You're running out of time, and there's no escape.
There ain't no second chance against the thing with forty eyes
You only get one chance to beat the monster with countless eyes.
Night creatures call
Mysterious and eerie creatures cry out in the night.
And the dead start to walk in their masquerade
The undead arise and parade in their costumes.
There's no escapin' the jaws of the alien this time (they're open wide)
There's no way to dodge the alien menace, its gaping jaws threatening to swallow you up.
This is the end of your life
The end of your existence is looming.
They're out to get you, there's demons closing in on every side
Demons surround you; they are closing in on you from every direction.
They will possess you unless you change the number on your dial
They will take over your soul unless you alter the digits on your phone.
Now is the time for you and I to cuddle close together
This is the moment for us to hold each other closely.
All thru the night I'll save you from the terrors on the screen,
I'll shield you from the horrors flickering on the screen all night long.
I'll make you see
I'll help you understand the true nature of the spectacle.
That it's a thriller, thriller night
This is a spectacular night of thrills and chills.
'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would dare to try
I can send chills up your spine far more successfully than any ghost ever could.
Girl, this is thriller, thriller night
My dear, this night is full of terrifying and thrilling events.
So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller, Thriller here tonight
Hold me tight so that we can experience a deadly, exciting, and thrilling night together.
Darkness falls across the land
Darkness descends across the entire region.
The midnite hour is close at hand
Midnight is approaching quickly.
Creatures crawl in search of blood
Monstrous beings scurry around looking for blood.
To terrorize y'awl's neighborhood
Their aim is to rattle the nerves of everyone in the neighborhood.
And whosoever shall be found
And whoever is discovered.
Without the soul for getting down
Lacks the courage and spirit to have a little fun.
Must stand and face the hounds of hell
Will be forced to confront the savage and hellish creatures.
And rot inside a corpse's shell
Their fate is to decay endlessly within a corrupted body.
The foulest stench is in the air
There's an unspeakable odor permeating the atmosphere.
The funk of forty thousand years
A vile stench that has accumulated over the centuries.
And grizzly ghouls from every tomb
Walking cadavers crawl out of every cemetery.
Are closing in to seal your doom
They're creeping up to lock you in a downward spiral of despair.
And though you fight to stay alive
Although you struggle fiercely to survive.
Your body starts to shiver
Your body quivers with fear.
For no mere mortal can resist
No human can resist.
The evil of the thriller
The wickedness of this thrilling experience.
Contributed by Brooklyn N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.