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.
Walk Like An Egyptian
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the old paintings on the tombs,
They do the sand dance,
Don't you know?
If they move too quick
They're falling down like a domino.
All the bazaar men by the Nile,
They got the money on a bet.
Gold crocodiles they snap their teeth
On your cigarette.
Foreign types with their hookah pipes say
Walk like an Egyptian.
The blond waitresses take their trays
They spin around and they cross the floor;
They got the moves.
You drop your drink then they bring you more.
All the school kids so sick of books,
They like the punk and the metal band.
When the buzzer rings,
They're walking like an Egyptian.
All the kids in the marketplace say:
Walk like an Egyptian.
Slide your feet up the street
Bend your back
Shift your arm and then you pull it back.
Life's hard you know
So strike a pose on a Cadillac.
If you want to find all the cops
They're hanging out in the donut shop.
They sing and dance
Spin the clubs cruise down the block.
All the Japanese with their yen
The party boys call the Kremlin
And the Chinese know
They walk the line like Egyptian.
All the cops in the donut shop say:
Walk like an Egyptian
Walk like an Egyptian.
The song "Walk Like An Egyptian" by Various Artists is a catchy and fun tune that reflects on the cultural trends and stereotypes of Egypt. The lyrics describe the iconic actions of an Egyptian sand dance where people move their hands like Egyptian hieroglyphs. The lyrics also utilize various cultural stereotypes such as "foreign types with their hookah pipes," "gold crocodiles that snap their teeth," and "blond waitresses take their trays." These elements reflect the exoticism and mystery that most people associate with Egypt.
The song also compels its listeners to move with its commanding chorus of "Walk Like An Egyptian." The lyrics describe school children and even police officers moving in this way as a cultural phenomenon. The song also references the hard life people lead while living in Egypt, sometimes requiring people to "strike a pose on a Cadillac" as a symbol of success.
Overall, this song is a fun and catchy way of describing cultural stereotypes and iconic past times. The lyrics and chorus are infectious, making anyone want to move and dance to the rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
All the old paintings on the tombs,
The ancient artwork on the tombs
They do the sand dance,
Performing a traditional dance style
Don't you know?
A rhetorical expression
If they move too quick
Moving too fast
They're falling down like a domino.
Collapsing in a chain reaction
All the bazaar men by the Nile,
Market traders near the river Nile
They got the money on a bet.
They have placed a monetary wager
Gold crocodiles they snap their teeth
Crocodiles with teeth made of gold
On your cigarette.
Cigarettes being used as props
Foreign types with their hookah pipes say
Non-natives with smoking pipes
Walk like an Egyptian.
Perform Egyptian-style movements
The blond waitresses take their trays
Waitresses with blonde hair carrying trays
They spin around and they cross the floor;
Dancing and moving gracefully
They got the moves.
They are skilled dancers
You drop your drink then they bring you more.
Spilled drinks being quickly replaced
All the school kids so sick of books,
Children who dislike learning
They like the punk and the metal band.
Prefer rock music genres
When the buzzer rings,
When the school bell rings
They're walking like an Egyptian.
Dancing like the ancient Egyptians
All the kids in the marketplace say:
Children in the shopping area
Walk like an Egyptian.
Imitating Egyptian dancing
Slide your feet up the street
Moving in a gliding motion
Bend your back
Arching the spine
Shift your arm and then you pull it back.
Swinging arms and retracting them
Life's hard you know
Life can be challenging
So strike a pose on a Cadillac.
Posing on a luxury car
If you want to find all the cops
If you wish to locate police officers
They're hanging out in the donut shop.
Police officers are socializing in a cafe
They sing and dance
Singing and dancing playfully
Spin the clubs cruise down the block.
Visiting and enjoying multiple nightclubs
All the Japanese with their yen
Japanese people with their currency
The party boys call the Kremlin
Party-goers are calling the Kremlin
And the Chinese know
Chinese people are aware of
They walk the line like Egyptian.
Walking a straight line like the ancient Egyptians did
All the cops in the donut shop say:
Police officers in the cafe
Walk like an Egyptian
Inviting others to dance like Egyptians
Walk like an Egyptian.
Encouraging more Egyptian dancing
Writer(s): Liam Hillard Sternberg
Contributed by Julian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.