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.
Know Nothing
Travis Lyrics
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So you hold on to something and hope for the best
And you know that it's right 'til you find that it's left
And I'm doing the same and I have to confess
That I know nothing
I never knew that there'd be nothing and no one to show you the way
I know nothing
All my senses are pushing the whole other way
I can't see where to look now what's that that you say?
It's a beautiful world it's a beautiful day
And I wish I could say if I was feeling the same
When I know nothing
I never knew that there'd be nothing and no one to show you the way
I know nothing
I need an Obi-wan to tell me if I've gone astray
And I wish it was clearer to see
If you are what you're made out to be
But there's no guarantee if you're you and I'm me
And there never will be, 'til I can see what you see
When I know nothing
I never knew that there'd be nothing and no one to show you the way
I know nothing
When all I do is make it through to the end of the day
I know nothing
I never knew that there'd be nothing and no one to show you the way
I know nothing
When all I do is make it through to the end of the day
When I know nothing
I never knew that there'd be
Know nothing
I never knew that there'd be
The song "Know Nothing" by Travis touches upon the uncertainty and ambiguity that is inherent in life. The lyrics suggest that despite the efforts that people put in to understand the world around them, there is often nothing concrete that can be grasped. The singer suggests that people hold on to things as if they know for sure that they are true, but very often, they are wrong. The lyrics suggest that people engage in a perpetual search for meaning and truth, but they rarely find any satisfactory answers. The song further highlights the fact that each individual's perception of the world around them is unique and hence, there can never be any guarantees that two people will share the same understanding of the same thing.
The singer confesses that he too is searching for meaning and struggling to make sense of the world. He has no one to show him the way and he himself knows nothing. He is merely making it through the day, hoping to reach the end. He wishes that things were clearer and that he had an "Obi-wan" to guide him. However, this wish is futile since there can never be any clarity or guarantee in life. The singer concludes by reiterating the song's main message - that he knows nothing.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything that you know is as wrong as the next
There is no absolute truth and knowledge is subjective.
So you hold on to something and hope for the best
In the absence of certainty, people cling to beliefs that give them comfort and guidance.
And you know that it's right 'til you find that it's left
Beliefs are arbitrary and can be contradicted by new information.
And I'm doing the same and I have to confess
The artist acknowledges their own fallibility and uncertainty.
That I know nothing
The artist acknowledges their lack of absolute knowledge or understanding.
I never knew that there'd be nothing and no one to show you the way
The singer expresses existential confusion and a desire for guidance.
When all I do is make it through to the end of the day
The singer is preoccupied with simply surviving in a confusing world.
All my senses are pushing the whole other way
The artist feels disoriented and out of sync with their surroundings.
I can't see where to look now what's that that you say?
The artist is grappling with conflicting or unclear information.
It's a beautiful world it's a beautiful day
Despite their confusion, the artist recognizes the beauty and wonder of the world.
And I wish I could say if I was feeling the same
The singer is unsure of their emotional response to the world.
I need an Obi-wan to tell me if I've gone astray
The artist desires a mentor or guide to help them navigate life.
And I wish it was clearer to see
The singer desires clarity and understanding.
If you are what you're made out to be
The singer is questioning the authenticity of others.
But there's no guarantee if you're you and I'm me
Individual truth and experience cannot be guaranteed or objectively compared.
And there never will be, 'til I can see what you see
The artist recognizes the limitations of their own perspective and the value of other viewpoints.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOUGLAS PAYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind