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.
What'd I Say
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put on your hard hats and invisible gloves
What's going on?
I was on the wagon; I thought I was done,
You have to watch out, when one falls in, another can't get out,
You say, "I like what you say, I like what you say,"
They say have to have somebody,
They say you have to be someone,
They say if you're not lonely alone
Boy there is something wrong,
You say, "I like what you say, I like what you say,"
You say, "I like what you say, I like what you say,"
You say, "Baby, I only want to make you happy,"
You say, "Baby, I only want to make you,"
Oooh, oooh, oooh,
You say, "I like what you say, I like what you say,"
You say, "I like what you say I like what you say,"
You say, "Baby, I only want to make you happy,"
You say, "Baby, I only want to make you,"
These lyrics are about the struggles and uncertainties of a relationship. The first few lines refer to a sense of chaos or emergency, where the singer is trying to protect themselves with "hard hats and invisible gloves." This could be seen as a metaphor for emotional protection, indicating that the singer is guarded and cautious in their relationship. They're unsure about what's going on, and feel like they were doing better ("on the wagon") before this relationship came along.
The chorus then becomes a sequence of repeated phrases, where the person they're in a relationship with says "I like what you say" multiple times. This could suggest a lack of sincerity or depth in the relationship, as the person is repeating the same phrases without saying anything of substance. The verses then delve into societal pressures surrounding relationships, with phrases like "they say you have to be someone" or "if you're not lonely alone, boy there is something wrong." This indicates that the singer may be struggling with the expectations placed on them by society, trying to figure out what they really want versus what they think they should want.
The final lines are a plea from the singer's partner, saying they only want to make them happy. It's unclear whether this is a genuine sentiment or just another repeated phrase, further emphasizing the uncertainty in the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Emergency above,
Something serious is happening and we need to take precautions for safety.
Put on your hard hats and invisible gloves
We need to protect ourselves with both physical and emotional defenses.
What's going on?
Asking for an explanation of the situation at hand.
I was on the wagon; I thought I was done,
I thought I had overcome my problems, but now it seems they have resurfaced.
You have to watch out, when one falls in, another can't get out,
When one person is struggling, others may also become trapped in the same cycle of struggle.
You say, "I like what you say, I like what you say,"
Expressing admiration for someone's words or actions.
They say have to have somebody,
There is a societal expectation that we must have a partner or be in a relationship.
They say you have to be someone,
There is pressure to establish a certain identity or persona in order to be accepted by society.
They say if you're not lonely alone
There is an assumption that being alone leads to loneliness, and that this is a negative state of being.
Boy there is something wrong,
Implying that not fitting into these societal ideals is seen as abnormal or problematic.
You say, "Baby, I only want to make you happy,"
Expressing a desire to bring joy and contentment to someone else's life.
Oooh, oooh, oooh,
A vocalization expressing emotion or sentiment without words.
You say, "I like what you say, I like what you say,"
Reiterating admiration for someone's words or actions.
You say, "Baby, I only want to make you happy,"
Continuing to express a desire to bring joy and contentment to someone else's life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnq.public4252
Class, soul, funk all rolled into one song. Ray Charles had it all and more.
@bwalsh6992
He had the no. 1 country Album, ..
@lindawilliams8715
Don't forget gospel rolled in the song too.
@b_uppy
One of my ALLTIME favorite performers! The epitome of cool.
@helenbestman5338
Yessssss
@gregkelley777
The band, the back up singers, and ray all performing live to perfection! It's so fun to see live performances vs lip synced, massaged in the studio songs!
@sj-777
Such passion and heart. Charles was totally in another world with this performance!
@R4Love365
This sounds even better than the original recorded version😳. Ray was a musical genius!!
@michaelbrandt5416
Totally agree with you, sir.
@sheliamccullough1626
I agree