The band released their debut album, Good Feeling (1997), to moderate success where it debuted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart and was later awarded a silver certification from the BPI in January 2000. The band gained greater success with their second album, The Man Who (1999), which spent nine weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart, totalling 134 weeks in the top 100 of the chart. In 2003, The Man Who was certified 9× platinum by the BPI, representing sales of over 2.68 million in the UK alone. Following this success, the band released their third effort, The Invisible Band (2001) album. The Invisible Band went on to match the success found with their previous album, where it debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spent a total of four weeks at the top spot, fifteen weeks in the top ten, and a total of fifty-five weeks in the top 100 chart, as well as peaking at thirty-nine on the US Billboard 200 album chart, spending a duration of seven weeks in the Billboard 200 chart. A year following the release of The Invisible Band, the BPI awarded Travis with a 4× platinum certification for the album.
In recent years, the band's discography has included studio albums 12 Memories (2003), The Boy with No Name (2007), Ode to J. Smith (2008), Where You Stand (2013), Everything at Once (2016) and 10 Songs (2020). In 2004, the band released their first greatest hits album, Singles, which spent nineteen weeks in the top 100 of the UK albums chart. Travis have twice been awarded best band at the BRIT Awards and were awarded the NME Artist of the Year award at their 2000 ceremony, and in 2016 were honoured at the Scottish Music Awards for their outstanding contribution to music. The band are widely said by the media to have paved the way for other bands such as Keane and Coldplay to go on to achieve worldwide success throughout the 2000s, particularly with the success of The Man Who.
Craft Recordings celebrated the 20th anniversary of Travis' breakthrough year with two simultaneous releases: Live at Glastonbury '99, plus expanded editions of The Man Who – both of which were released on 21 June 2019.
3 Times And You Lose
Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I lived in a little town
Where little dreams were broken
And words were seldom spoken
I tried to reach you
But all the lines were down
And so the rain began to fall
On this little town
... On this little town
The little people
Had very little left to say
Their words had all been shortened
It didn't really seem important
And I had a feeling
That you were very far away
But then a little voice inside me said
"you'll never get away from here"
And it's 1, 2,
3 Times and you lose
Of course it doesn't matter how you say it
I'm all out of luck
So there's nothing really more to say
I'm throwing it all away
Well we had opinions
But now we all think the same
We never look at one another
Only when the other suffers
And I thought I saw you
But it was just another face
Plastered on a blank horizon
Running in the human race
And it's 1, 2,
3 Times and you lose
Of course it doesn't matter how you say it
I'm all out of luck
So there's nothing really more to say
I'm throwing it all away
And it's 1, 2,
3 Times and you lose
I'm all out of luck
So there's nothing really more to say
I'm throwing it all away
Throwing it all away
Throwing it all away
The lyrics to Travis's song "3 Times And You Lose" tell a story of a nightmare where the singer finds themselves living in a small town where dreams are broken and people don't communicate. The singer tries to reach someone but can't, and the rain starts falling on the little town. The people in the town have little to say and have all started thinking the same way. The singer has a feeling that someone they care about is far away, and a little voice inside them tells them they'll never escape the little town. The phrase "3 times and you lose" is repeated throughout the song, indicating a sense of hopelessness and giving up. The singer concludes by saying that they're "throwing it all away."
The song uses a lot of imagery, painting a picture of a secluded town where people have lost their individuality and hope. Travis's lyrics suggest that people who have lost sight of their dreams and stop communicating with others have lost the ability to escape their situation. The repetition of "3 times and you lose" emphasizes how trapped the singer feels in this situation.
There are several possible interpretations of the lyrics to "3 Times And You Lose." It could be about the feeling of being trapped in a job or relationship or the difficulties of escaping one's past. The song could also be a commentary on society as a whole, criticizing how people have become so focused on themselves that they've stopped communicating with others and lost their ability to dream.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a nightmare
The artist is describing his negative emotions through a metaphorical dream
I lived in a little town
The artist feels trapped in a limited environment with little possibilities.
Where little dreams were broken
The environment the artist is in is hostile towards dreams and aspirations.
And words were seldom spoken
Communication is limited and ineffective in the environment described.
I tried to reach you
The artist is describing an attempt to connect with someone outside of this environment.
But all the lines were down
The artist cannot reach the person he's trying to connect with.
And so the rain began to fall
The atmosphere is becoming even more hostile and difficult.
On this little town
Reinforcing the idea of being trapped in an unfavorable environment.
The little people
The inhabitants of the town are small-minded and have little impact on anything.
Had very little left to say
Conversation is muted and empty.
Their words had all been shortened
Speech is inefficient and lacks meaning.
It didn't really seem important
Even important things go unnoticed and disregarded in this environment.
And I had a feeling
The artist knows on an instinctual level that there's more outside of this environment.
That you were very far away
The person the artist is trying to connect with feels distant and unreachable.
But then a little voice inside me said
The artist's internal monologue is pushing him to keep trying.
"you'll never get away from here"
The surrounding environment is too strong to overcome.
And it's 1, 2,
The artist is emphasizing the finality of his situation.
3 Times and you lose
Despairing idea that hope may be lost.
Of course it doesn't matter how you say it
Outcomes will be the same no matter what.
I'm all out of luck
The artist is resigned to defeat.
So there's nothing really more to say
The artist is done trying and is letting go.
I'm throwing it all away
Metaphorical act of giving up and moving on.
Well we had opinions
The environment used to be different and people had their own beliefs.
But now we all think the same
The environment has caused people to become conformist.
We never look at one another
There's no real interaction or connection between people.
Only when the other suffers
People notice each other's existence only when there's pain.
And I thought I saw you
The artist is still looking for someone outside of this environment.
But it was just another face
The person he's looking for is still out of reach.
Plastered on a blank horizon
The landscape is empty and unwelcoming, without any chance for growth.
Running in the human race
The artist feels like he's caught in a cycle without an end.
Throwing it all away
Reinforcing the idea that the artist has given up and is moving on.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDREW DUNLOP, FRANCIS HEALY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind