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.
Waves
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My feet can't touch the ground,
Touch the ground, and it feels like
I can see the sands on the horizon
Everytime you are not around
I'm slowly drifting away (drifting away)
Wave after wave, wave after wave
And it feels like I'm drowning
Pulling against the stream
Pulling against the stream
I wish I could make it easy
Easy to love me, love me
But still I reach, to find a way
I'm stuck here in between
I'm looking for the right words to say
I'm slowly drifting, drifting away
Wave after wave, wave after wave
I'm slowly drifting (drifting away)
And it feels like I'm drowning
Pulling against the stream
Pulling against the stream
The lyrics of "Waves" by Various Artists convey the feeling of being lost and struggling to stay afloat without the support of someone special. The singer's face is above the water, but their feet cannot touch the ground. This line metaphorically represents the feeling of being isolated and hopeless. The absence of the loved one feels like seeing the sands on the horizon, which is a metaphorical way of saying that their absence makes everything look bleak and hopeless.
The chorus expresses the feeling of being lost and drifting away. The singer feels like waves after waves keep pulling them in different directions, making it harder to keep their head above the water. The metaphor of drowning is used to depict the feeling of being overwhelmed by emotions and being unable to cope. The singer is pulling against the stream, trying to fight against the current, but it feels like they're not making any progress.
The bridge of the song expresses the singer's desire to be loved but acknowledges that it's not easy. They're stuck in between wanting someone to understand and love them, but also struggling to find the right words to express themselves. Overall, the song is a heartbreaking representation of the feeling of being lost and struggling to find hope alone.
Line by Line Meaning
My face above the water
I am keeping my head above the water
My feet can't touch the ground,
I am unable to stand firmly on the ground
Touch the ground, and it feels like
It is as if I can feel the ground beneath my feet
I can see the sands on the horizon
I can see the sandy shore in the distance
Everytime you are not around
Whenever you are not present
I'm slowly drifting away (drifting away)
I am slowly moving further away
Wave after wave, wave after wave
Consistent and repetitive waves keep pushing me away
And it feels like I'm drowning
It feels like I am suffocating in water
Pulling against the stream
I am struggling against the current
I wish I could make it easy
I desire making things simpler
Easy to love me, love me
Easier to be loved by others
But still I reach, to find a way
I keep trying to find a solution
I'm stuck here in between
I am in a difficult situation
I'm looking for the right words to say
I am searching for the best way to communicate
Pulling against the stream
I am still fighting the current
I'm slowly drifting, drifting away
I am gradually moving away
And it feels like I'm drowning
It feels like I am suffocating in water
Wave after wave, wave after wave
Consistent and repetitive waves keep pushing me away
I'm slowly drifting (drifting away)
I am gradually moving away
Pulling against the stream
I am fighting the current
Contributed by Chloe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.