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.
Just the Faces Change
Travis Lyrics
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I never ever want to go home
My friends are in bed but I'm best on my own
I'm terrified of driving a car
Afraid I'm afraid of the dark
But it happened before in a different bar
And I know it's late but won't you take me home
But how am I gonna get out
When even the names stay the same
Just the faces change
It's easier to stare at the sun
Than look at all the things that you've done
Intentions were good but so was the fun
And you know it's wrong it can't go on for long
I must have thought of getting out now
But how am I going to get out
When even the names stay the same
Just the faces change
Just the faces change
I must have thought of getting out now
But how am I going to get out
When even the names stay the same
Just the faces change
Just the faces change
In Travis's song Just the Faces Change, the singer's intentions may have once been pure, but now they're trapped in a cycle of going out every night, looking for familiar faces in unfamiliar surroundings, and ignoring the fact that they should really be going home. They're afraid of driving but also afraid of being alone, and even though they know they should leave, it's easier said than done. The singer is self-aware enough to realize that they're stuck in this cycle and that the people around them change from night to night, but the familiar names and faces are enough to keep them coming back.
The lyrics paint a picture of someone who is lost and searching for something, whether it's a way out of the situation they've found themselves in or something else entirely. The line "It's easier to stare at the sun/Than look at all the things that you've done" hints at some sort of internal struggle or guilt, but at the same time, the singer recognizes that their intentions were good and that they've had fun along the way. It's a bittersweet song that captures the feeling of being stuck in a rut, but also finding comfort in the familiar faces that keep appearing.
Line by Line Meaning
I look around for faces I know
I am searching for familiar faces so I don't feel alone or out of place.
I never ever want to go home
I am choosing to stay out late because going home feels unbearable.
My friends are in bed but I'm best on my own
I prefer being alone to being with my sleeping friends at home.
I'm terrified of driving a car
I am very scared of driving and feel like it would be dangerous for me to do.
Afraid I'm afraid of the dark
I am scared of the dark and feel anxious in low light or nighttime situations.
But it happened before in a different bar
I have experienced a similar situation before in a different place.
And I know it's late but won't you take me home
Even though it's late, I'm asking for someone's help to get home.
I must have thought of getting out now
I have considered leaving this situation or place.
But how am I gonna get out
I can't think of a way to leave this situation or place safely.
When even the names stay the same
Everything in this scene or situation seems to be the same or familiar, even though I feel out of place.
Just the faces change
The only thing that seems to be different are the people around me.
It's easier to stare at the sun
It's easier to look at something bright and painful like the sun, than to reflect on my own mistakes or past actions.
Than look at all the things that you've done
I am avoiding taking responsibility for my own actions and choices, and choosing to avoid introspection.
Intentions were good but so was the fun
Even though I may have had good intentions, I got caught up in the moment and lost sight of my goals or values.
And you know it's wrong it can't go on for long
I am aware that what I'm doing is not right or sustainable, and that this situation cannot continue indefinitely.
Just the faces change
Despite my attempts to escape my problems or past, the only thing that seems to change are the people around me.
Just the faces change
The only thing that seems to be different are the people around me.
I must have thought of getting out now
I have considered leaving this situation or place.
But how am I going to get out
I can't think of a way to leave this situation or place safely.
When even the names stay the same
Everything in this scene or situation seems to be the same or familiar, even though I feel out of place.
Just the faces change
The only thing that seems to be different are the people around me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOUGLAS PAYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind