In June 2006, Air Traffic released their first single, double A-side Just Abuse Me/Charlotte on London-based indie label Club Fandango. Following this the band signed to major label EMI.
They went on to release Never Even Told Me Her Name as a four track EP in October 2006.
Their debut album Fractured Life was released in July 2007 charting at number 42 in the UK, supported by the singles Shooting Star, No More Running Away, and a re-release of Charlotte.
In February 2008 Fractured Life was released in the USA through the label Astralwerks, with additional track Come On which signaled a darker sound and lyrics thought to be about the band's troubled relationship with EMI. This release was supported with an extensive tour of America with Elbow.
In 2009 Air Traffic began writing their second album, following the departure of drummer David Jordan and leaving EMI. The first glimpse of new material was an Internet only download called Ambulate which showed a clear departure from their previous mainstream Alt-pop sound.
The played a summer tour during 2009 previewing new songs, however these only came to fruition through a low key download EP called Whatever Comes released to those attending the two final shows Air Traffic announced, a warm up gig in Bournemouth before playing Bush Hall, London on the 29th April 2010.
The band officially announced a split on the 26th September 2010 announcing
"To our Loyal fans,
We are taking a break from being a band for a while to try other things.
To everyone who ever helped us, thank you. To everyone who supported us, we wouldn’t exist without you.
We’ll let you know here if things change, or what other endeavours we’re up to.
Love
Air Traffic"
* Chris Wall – Vocals, Piano
* Tom Pritchard – Guitar
* James Maddock – Bass guitar
*David Ryan Jordan - Drums (Until 2009)
Air Traffic's singer Chris Wall's new project is Soft Bullets.
This Old Town
Air Traffic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Id Be Richer Than A King
Got To Much Time
To Reflect On Everything
Its Like Being Stuck Inside A Room
Were No One Comes And No One Goes
Nothing Even Grow
I Hope Its Worth The Wait
I Keep Thinking Its Nothing
So Come Over Tonite
Show Me The Light
Its Just A Circle That Were Running
And A Give It All Away
Lose It All Today
All We Do Is Lie
We Cry(Give It All Away)
Inside This Old Town
You Put A Fire In My Hand
Put A Fire In My Soul
Well I Want To Embrace It
And I Dont Want To Let It Go
Im Sick And Tired Of Being No One
Being No One Not Enough
The Road To Nowhere Isnt Tough
All We Do Is Lie
We Cry (Give It All Away)
Inside This Old Town
Give It All I Can
Give It All I Can
All We Do Is Lie And Cry
Inside This Old Town
All We Do Is Lie And Cry
Inside This Old Town
(fade out)
Air Traffic's song This Old Town is a reflection of human emotions of boredom, hopelessness, and the quest for purpose. The opening lines - If Boredom Was Gold, Id Be Richer Than A King shows how the singer's mind is plagued with ennui, resulting in the overthinking of all aspects of life. The fifth line - It's Like Being Stuck Inside A Room Were No One Comes And No One Goes puts forth an image of the singer being trapped in a situation or a mental state that is stagnant and uneventful. They seem despondent and feel like they're going out of their mind.
However, towards the end, the song takes a turn towards hope, as the singer hears of someone who can "Show me the light." The lines "Put a fire in my hand / Put a fire in my soul / well I want to embrace it / and I don't want to let it go" indicate a willingness to embrace change and a positive shift in perspective. Towards the end, we hear the lines repeating - All We Do Is Lie And Cry Inside This Old Town, which brings about the feeling that the singer is not alone in their experience, and these emotions are shared by many individuals in a similar situation.
This song portrays the struggles of small-town living, where people can feel stuck in a loop of the same mundane experiences day in and day out. However, there is always hope for change and progress towards something positive. This Old Town is a relatable song for anyone who has felt stuck in a rut, and it reminds us that we all have the potential to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
If Boredom Was Gold
If boredom was a valuable commodity
Id Be Richer Than A King
I would have an abundance of it, beyond what most people could imagine
Got To Much Time
I have too much time on my hands
To Reflect On Everything
To think deeply about everything that is happening
Its Like Being Stuck Inside A Room
It feels like being trapped in a confined space
Were No One Comes And No One Goes
Where there is no movement or change
Nothing Even Grow
Where there is no growth or progress
Am Going Outta My Mind
I am losing my sanity
I Hope Its Worth The Wait
I hope whatever I am waiting for is worth it
I Keep Thinking Its Nothing
I keep doubting that what I am waiting for is important
So Come Over Tonite
Come visit me tonight
Show Me The Light
Help me see the value of what I am waiting for
Its Just A Circle That Were Running
We are stuck in a repetitive cycle
And A Give It All Away
And we are willing to give everything up
Lose It All Today
Lose everything we have today
All We Do Is Lie
We are not truthful
We Cry(Give It All Away)
We are emotional and willing to give everything up
Inside This Old Town
Within this unchanging place we are in
You Put A Fire In My Hand
You have ignited a passion in me
Put A Fire In My Soul
You have ignited a passion in me that is deep
Well I Want To Embrace It
I want to fully accept and experience this passion
And I Dont Want To Let It Go
I don't want to lose this passion that you have ignited in me
Im Sick And Tired Of Being No One
I am exhausted and frustrated with being unimportant
Being No One Not Enough
Being insignificant is not acceptable
The Road To Nowhere Isnt Tough
It is not difficult to end up with an unfulfilling life
Give It All I Can
I will give it everything I have
All We Do Is Lie And Cry
We are dishonest and emotional
Inside This Old Town
Within this unchanging place we are in
All We Do Is Lie And Cry
We are dishonest and emotional
Inside This Old Town
Within this unchanging place we are in
Contributed by Sophie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.