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.
Long Way Down
Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Above the two tone town
And it's no funny when you're stuck in the middle
I'm coming up for air
I could be anywhere
It makes no difference when you live in a puddle
Now that I see it
And not on my sleeve
Better run little rabbit
Back to your hole in the ground
It's a long way down
It's a long way down
The people look so small
Sliding off the wall
Getting dizzy as they fall in the gutter
I watch the seagull
Swooping past the steeple
Crying for his dinner as he shits on the sinners
Now that I see it
How can I breathe when my heart's in my mouth
Instead of my sleeve
Better run little rabbit
Back to your hole in the ground
It's a long way down
It's a long way down
Mama
An eye for an eye
You'd say you'd never take a side
Papa
I'm too young to die
They'll never take me
They'll never take me alive
They're never taking me alive
They're never taking me alive
The opening lines of Travis's song Long Way Down describe a feeling of being stuck and lost in a disorienting environment. The singer is above the "two tone town," which could be read as a metaphor for a place that is both black and white, good and bad, or prosperous and downtrodden. The singer is "stuck in the middle," which suggests that they feel trapped in this liminal space between two extremes. This image is reinforced later in the song when the singer says they live "in a puddle." The use of water as a metaphor here suggests that the singer is drowning or struggling to stay afloat, which adds to the feeling of being lost and powerless.
The chorus of the song seems to be about the singer's struggle to find their voice or express themselves. They say "how can I breathe when my heart's in my mouth / and not on my sleeve." This could mean that they are afraid to be vulnerable or show their true feelings, and would rather keep them close to their chest. The image of the "little rabbit / back to your hole in the ground" suggests that the singer is retreating or running away from something, which could be their own emotions or a difficult situation they are facing.
The final verse of the song adds another layer of complexity, as the singer addresses their parents. The lines "An eye for an eye / You'd say you'd never take a side" could be read as a criticism of their parents for not standing up for what they believe in. The line "I'm too young to die" suggests that the singer feels like they have a lot of life to live and things to accomplish before they are taken from this world. The repetition of "they'll never take me" reinforces this idea of defiance and the singer's unwillingness to give up or give in.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a long way down
The distance is great, both physically and emotionally.
Above the two tone town
Referring to a town with divisions between rich and poor, and the singer feels above it all.
And it's no funny when you're stuck in the middle
It is not a humorous situation when you're caught in the middle of two opposing sides.
I'm coming up for air
It feels like a breath of fresh air to gain clarity on the situation.
I could be anywhere
Location doesn't matter, as the problem still persists.
It makes no difference when you live in a puddle
When someone is living in a small world, the outcome is the same regardless of where they are.
Now that I see it
After understanding the situation clearly.
How can I breath when my heart's in my mouth
It is difficult to remain calm when the situation is so anxiety-inducing.
And not on my sleeve
The singer is not showing their emotions outwardly.
Better run little rabbit
Someone is running away from a difficult predicament.
Back to your hole in the ground
The person feels like they are retreating into their previous life.
The people look so small
The larger picture is now clear, making people's actual size insignificant.
Sliding off the wall
People are losing their grip on reality and are losing their footing.
Getting dizzy as they fall in the gutter
The people are becoming overwhelmed and are falling into a bad place.
I watch the seagull
The singer is observing everything as an outsider.
Swooping past the steeple
The seagull is swooping by the church steeple, an image that contrasts the church and the bird's behavior.
Crying for his dinner as he shits on the sinners
The seagull is screeching with both hunger and mocking the people below.
Mama
The singer addresses their mother.
An eye for an eye
Retaliation or revenge for what has been done.
You'd say you'd never take a side
The mother is playing neutral and not picking sides.
Papa
The person addresses their father.
I'm too young to die
The person is too young to face this type of danger.
They'll never take me
The person will not be defeated.
They'll never take me alive
The person will not be captured or defeated by an opposing side.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Liam James Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Julian C Bunetta, Jamie Scott, John Ryan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ace
this track is like their first album just multiplied by 100000000000000
Horrible Mutton Chops
Way to step their game up. *drools over new album*
Laura Ramos
This song reminds me of David Bowie, The Beatles and Blur at the same time...
Chantal Hatfield
I totally freaked out when he yelled. 1:30
Ace
i don't really like this song but they don't suck ur buggin kid