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.
anytime
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That I put on my arm the day
You went away girl and I probably
Won't come back around again
One, two
Gonna get in the car with a smile and the burn
That I put on my arm the day
Won't come back around again
I'm gonna drive all night through the red lights flying
Over the hill to the county line crying
Forgetting to forget that you're not mine
Kiss your apocalypse for the last, last time
Runaway, runaway, runaway again find
Anytime you think, you changed your mind
Anytime you want, jump back to me anytime
Jump back to me anytime, jump back to me anytime
Come back one more time, anytime
There's a place where I go to take the edge off the day
When the radios up your face fades away
Flicker, flicker dim and fade to black
With a back pack packed and a mark on a map
Gonna drive too fast, gonna not look back
Light the night with a blow torch and a match
Kiss your apocalypse for the last, last time
Runaway, runaway, runaway again find
Anytime you think you changed your mind
Anytime you want, jump back to me anytime
Jump back to me anytime, jump back to me anytime
Come back one more time, anytime
Got no time, reason or rhyme
Not gonna stop, gonna ride all night
Got no time, reason or rhyme
Not gonna stop, gonna ride all night
Got no time, reason or rhyme
Not gonna stop, gonna ride all night
Anytime, jump back to me anytime
Jump back to me anytime, jump back to me anytime
Come back one more time
Kiss your apocalypse for the last, last time
Runaway, runaway, runaway again find
Kiss your apocalypse for the last, last time
Runaway, runaway, run, run, run
For the last, last time
For the last, last time
For the last, last time
For the last, last time
The lyrics of Various Artists' "AnyTime" suggest that the singer is trying to move on from a past relationship, where he had put a burn on his arm as a result of the girl's departure, which he may never recover from. Despite this, he decides to get in the car and drive away, stating that he won't come back around again, as he is looking for a place where he can escape his memories. As he drives all night, he forgets to forget about the girl he lost, and he begins to envision an opportunity for her to come back to him at any time. He admits that he has no reasons or motives for his actions, and instead, he chooses to ride all night.
The singer also specifies a place where he goes to "take the edge off the day" and escape the memories of the girl. He packs his backpack with a mark on the map, planning to drive too fast and not look back. As he finds himself unable to forget the girl who left him, he clings to the possibility that she may come back anytime. After repeating the phrase "jump back to me anytime" three times in the chorus, the song ends with the singer saying goodbye to the apocalypse that the girl's departure had brought and stating that he will run away for the last time, signifying his permanent departure from the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna get in the car with a smile and the burn
I am going to get in my car with a smile despite the pain from the burn that reminds me of the day you left.
That I put on my arm the day
I burned my arm as a way to commemorate the day you decided to leave me.
You went away girl and I probably
You left me and I doubt I will be able to get over it anytime soon.
Won't come back around again
I don't think I will be returning to the place where we once had something because it hurts too much.
I'm gonna drive all night through the red lights flying
To forget your memory, I will drive aimlessly through the night, ignoring traffic signals and rules.
Over the hill to the county line crying
As I speed towards the county border, I will cry and release my emotions.
Forgetting to forget that you're not mine
I am trying to forget you, but at times, I forget that I should be forgetting you.
Kiss your apocalypse for the last, last time
This is the last time I will embrace you and accept the end of the world, which feels like my own personal apocalypse.
Runaway, runaway, runaway again find
I will run away again in the hopes of finding solace somewhere else.
Anytime you think, you changed your mind
If you ever change your mind and want to be with me again, come back to me anytime.
Anytime you want, jump back to me anytime
You are free to come back to me whenever you feel like it.
Jump back to me anytime, jump back to me anytime
You have the freedom to return to me whenever you feel like it.
Come back one more time, anytime
You may choose to come back one more time or anytime for that matter.
There's a place where I go to take the edge off the day
I have a place to go where I can seek refuge and forget the troubles of the day.
When the radios up your face fades away
When I turn up the volume of the radio, the memories of your face begin to fade away.
Flicker, flicker dim and fade to black
The images in my mind of you flicker and fade away, signaling the end of our relationship.
With a back pack packed and a mark on a map
I am all set to go on a journey with my belongings in a backpack and a goal in mind.
Gonna drive too fast, gonna not look back
I will drive fast and leave behind all the memories of you.
Light the night with a blow torch and a match
I will light up the night and hope to burn away the memories of us with a blow torch and a match.
Got no time, reason or rhyme
I don't have any plan, reason or rhyme for my journey.
Not gonna stop, gonna ride all night
I won't stop until I've put the memories of us behind me completely.
Writer(s): Julian Lee Jonah, Danny Harrison
Contributed by Adam D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.