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.
Under The Sea
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The human world, it's a mess
Life under the sea is better
Than anything they got up there
The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else's lake
You dream about going up there
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?
Under the sea, under the sea
Darlin', it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore, they work all day
Out in the sun, they slave away
While we devotin' full time to floatin'
Under the sea
Down here, all the fish is happy
As off through the waves they roll
The fish on the land ain't happy
They're sad 'cause they're in their bowl
But fish in the bowl is lucky
They in for a worser fate
One day when the boss get hungry
(Guess who's gon' be on their plate)
Woh oh
Under the sea, under the sea
Nobody'd beat us
Fry us and eat us
In fricasee
We what the land folks loves to cook
Under the sea, we off the hook
We got no troubles, life is the bubbles
Under the sea
(Under the sea)
Under the sea
(Under the sea)
Since life is sweet here
We got the beat here naturally
(Naturally e-e-e)
Even the sturgeon an' the ray
They get the urge an' start to play
We got the spirit, you got to hear it
Under the sea
The newt play the flute
The carp play the harp
The plaice play the bass
And they're soundin' sharp
The bass play the brass
The chub play the tub
The fluke is the Duke of soul
(Yeah)
They ray, he can play
The lings on the strings
The trout rockin' out
The blackfish, she sings
The smelt and the sprat
They know where it's at
An' oh, that blowfish blow
Under the sea
(Under the sea)
Under the sea
(Under the sea)
When the sardine begin the beguine
It's music to me
(Music is to me)
What do they got? A lot of sand
We got a hot crustacean band
Each little clam here know how to jam here
Under the sea
Each little slug here, cuttin' a rug here
Under the sea
Each little snail here, know how to wail here
That's why it's hotter under the water
Ya' we're in luck here, down in the muck here
Under the sea
The song "Under the Sea" is an upbeat tune that urges Ariel to remain in the ocean instead of attempting to live amongst humans. The song invites listeners to take notice of the splendour in the world beneath the surface. The character singing the song tells Ariel that life under the sea is better than anything that humans have to offer. The lyrics to this song highlight an Alice in Wonderland-like realm of imagination filled with fantastical creatures such as singing fish, grooving crabs, and dancing mollusks.
The verses in the song's lyrics suggest that life is much easier under the sea than it is on the surface. The song's message asks listeners to come to appreciate the world beneath the surface, with its wonders, creative milieu, and captivating sounds. The song also champions the notion of teamwork, highlighting how fish, crabs, and others join together to make music and have fun under the sea.
Line by Line Meaning
Ariel, listen to me
The singer wants Ariel's attention to inform her about Life under the sea.
The human world, it's a mess
The singer is implying that the human world is a chaotic place.
Life under the sea is better
The singer firmly believes that living under the sea is better than living in the human world.
Than anything they got up there
The artist believes that there is nothing in the world above the sea that can match life under the sea.
The seaweed is always greener
The artist believes that everything appears better when we observe it from a distance.
In somebody else's lake
The singer implies that what appears to be greener seaweed is in another fish's environment.
You dream about going up there
The singer recognizes that others may dream of leaving the sea to experience life above it.
But that is a big mistake
The artist implies that such a decision would be a grave error.
Just look at the world around you
The artist encourages Ariel to take a moment and observe the beauty around her.
Right here on the ocean floor
The artist draws Ariel's attention to the ocean floor, where they are currently located.
Such wonderful things surround you
The singer emphasizes the beauty of the surroundings and how many wonders Ariel has around her.
What more is you lookin' for?
The artist is questioning what else Ariel would ask for, given the magnificence of their current surroundings.
Under the sea, under the sea
The singer repeats the phrase 'Under the sea' as a refrain to reinforce the idea that life under the sea is better.
Darlin', it's better
The singer calls Ariel 'darlin' to show affection and repeats that life under the sea is better.
Down where it's wetter
The singer implies that Ariel should pay attention to the world under the sea, where things are wetter.
Take it from me
The artist refers to Ariel to trust him/her as a reliable source of information.
Up on the shore, they work all day
The artist believes that life above water for humans involves work throughout the day.
Out in the sun, they slave away
The singer believes that in the human world, people work very hard under the sun.
While we devotin' full time to floatin'
The singer is proud of their lifestyle, where their whole time is dedicated to floating around.
Down here, all the fish is happy
The artist believes that all fish living under the sea are happy.
As off through the waves they roll
The artist describes how fish enjoy swimming through the waves created in the water.
The fish on the land ain't happy
The artist implies that fish living in a human-made environment aren’t as happy.
They're sad 'cause they're in their bowl
The singer implies that fish kept in artificial environments such as bowls are unhappy.
But fish in the bowl are lucky
The artist believes that fish in a bowl are lucky because they haven't met their fate.
They in for a worser fate
The singer is implying that fish in a bowl will die eventually.
(Guess who's gon' be on their plate)
The singer implies that humans will eat their fish eventually.
Under the sea, under the sea
The singer reiterates the refrain that life under the sea is better.
Nobody’d beat us
The artist implies that they are the champions under the sea.
Fry us and eat us
The artist is telling Ariel that on land, people will cook fish.
In fricassee
The singer is singing about fish being cooked in a stew filled with vegetables and served with a white sauce.
We what the land folks loves to cook
The singer implies that the fish people love to eat comes from bodies of water (rivers, lakes, oceans, etc.).
Under the sea, we off the hook
The artist plays with words, saying that fish under the sea don't have to deal with the struggles of being caught off the hook (of a fishing line).
We got no troubles, life is the bubbles
The artist is explaining how life under the sea is perfect, without any troubles, and full of wonders.
Since life is sweet here
The artist emphasizes the idea that life under the sea is perfect.
We got the beat here naturally
The singer implies that the rhythm of life under the sea is natural, and that everything flows together harmoniously.
Even the sturgeon an' the ray
The artist believes that all creatures under the sea know how to play, including the sturgeon and the stingray.
They get the urge an' start to play
The singer believes that all creatures living under the sea have the urge to play and enjoy themselves.
We got the spirit, you got to hear it
The singer believes that under the sea, there is a vibrant energy that you can feel if you pay attention.
The newt play the flute
The singer describes the playing habits of the newt, who he says play the flute.
The carp play the harp
The artist describes the playing habits of the carp, who he says play the harp.
The plaice play the bass
The artist describes the playing habits of the plaice, who he says play the bass.
And they're soundin' sharp
The singer implies that, together, the various types of fish are creating a sharp, beautiful harmony that sounds great.
The bass play the brass
The singer describes the playing habits of the bass, who he says play the brass instruments.
The chub play the tub
The artist describes the playing habits of the chub, who he says play the tuba.
The fluke is the Duke of soul
The artist declares that the fluke is the king of soul music.
(Yeah)
The artist is simply adding a sound to accompany the line he/she just sang.
They ray, he can play
The singer introduces a new species, the ray, who he says can play musical instruments.
The lings on the strings
The artist further describes the other musical abilities that fish have, such as the lings who play the strings.
The trout rockin' out
The singer describes the trout as 'rocking out' to the beat of the underwater music.
The blackfish, she sings
The singer introduces another species, the blackfish, who he says sings along with the other fish's instruments.
The smelt and the sprat
The singer describes the smelt and the sprat as particpants in the underwater music scene.
They know where it's at
The artist implies that the smelt and the sprat understand how to play along with the music.
An' oh, that blowfish blow
The artist introduces another species, the blowfish, who he says plays the trumpet.
When the sardine begin the beguine
The singer describes how sardines initiate a dance, and that is when the music - and dancing - begins.
It's music to me
The singer implies that the music that the underwater music scene creates is beautiful and pleasant to listen to.
What do they got? A lot of sand
The artist is comparing life under the sea to life on land, and implies that the only thing the land has to offer that the sea doesn't is a vast amount of sand.
We got a hot crustacean band
The artist believes that under the sea, they have something that the land doesn't - an energetic and upbeat musical scene.
Each little clam here know how to jam here
The artist implies that every clam under the sea knows how to participate in the musical scene, creating a harmonious experience.
Each little slug here, cuttin' a rug here
The singer again emphasizes that every little creature under the sea is capable of enjoying the music and cutting a rug (dancing).
Each little snail here, know how to wail here
The artist adds one more creature to the list - every little snail under the sea knows how to wail (sing) in the musical scene.
That's why it's hotter under the water
The singer is playing with words again, meaning that life under the sea is much more exciting and vibrant, emotionally, than life above water.
Ya' we're in luck here, down in the muck here
The singer believes that being born under the sea is just lucky, even if some people might view it as only being in the muck (dirty, muddy) water.
Under the sea
The singer repeats the refrain one final time, closing out the song and once again emphasizing the beauty of life under the sea.
Contributed by Avery Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.