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.
Rock 'n' Roll
Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How did you do that?
Said you'd be there till the end
Now you're treatin' me like a cat
Flaps flap
You're a rock and salad roll
Born to lose control
On the edge of the bowl
Said you were a fool
How did you do that?
Sold your sold your sold your soul
Now your stuck like the pull in the rat
Traps trap
You're a rock and salad roll
Born to lose control
Now you remind me
Ah stubbin' my toe
Oooh
You're a rock and salad roll
Born to lose control
You're livin your life
On the edge of the bowl
Oh bless my soul
The lyrics to Travis's song "Rock 'n' Roll" tell a story about betrayal and disappointment. The singer is addressing someone who they thought was a friend, but now feels like they've been used and let down by this person. The lines "Said you were a friend, How did you do that?" express the singer's confusion and hurt.
The chorus of the song refers to the person as a "rock and salad roll" - a phrase that seems nonsensical at first, but can be interpreted as an insult meaning that they're fake or phony. The singer accuses the person of living life on the edge, implying that they're reckless and untrustworthy.
In the second verse, the singer continues to express their hurt and frustration, implying that the person they once trusted has now become a fool who has sold their soul. The use of animal imagery with the lines "Now you're stuck like the pull in the rat, Traps trap" suggest that the person is in a dangerous or precarious situation, and the singer is judging them for getting themselves into that predicament.
Overall, the song "Rock 'n' Roll" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of trusting the wrong people, and of living a life without authenticity or integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
Said you were a friend
You claimed we were close acquaintances
How did you do that?
How did you deceive me into thinking we were friends?
Said you'd be there till the end
You promised to stand by my side throughout everything
Now you're treatin' me like a cat
However, you're treating me like something insignificant
Flaps flap
Maybe mocking me with a frivolous gesture?
You're a rock and salad roll
You're a wild and uncontrollable individual
Born to lose control
You were never meant to live a careful or ordered life
You're livin' your life
You're making your own choices and taking your own risks
On the edge of the bowl
You're living dangerously close to something that could cause a downfall
Said you were a fool
You admitted to being a foolish person
How did you do that?
How did you manage to get in this situation?
Sold your sold your sold your soul
You compromised your values in exchange for something else
Now your stuck like the pull in the rat
Now you're in too deep and can't escape the consequences
Traps trap
You have become caught in a trap you set for yourself
Now you remind me
Now you bring to mind
Ah stubbin' my toe
The pain and frustration caused by hitting my toe on something
You're a rock and salad roll
You're still a wild and untamed individual
Born to lose control
Meant to take risks and live life boldly
You're livin your life
Making choices that shape your destiny
On the edge of the bowl
Continuing to live life dangerously close to the abyss
Oh bless my soul
An exclamation of surprise or relief
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
subterreanhighrise
Sure the song is criminally underrated, but the video with the awesome still images is worth more than just a mention. Brilliant and timeless, I will never get tired of it.
Isaac Almaraz
Great song, one of my favorites Travis´s songs, pure refined british rock!
Rafael García González
Me ofende que esta canción no tenga como mínimo un millón de vistas
Jorge Delgado
One of the most underrated songs of all time. It should be on every top 100 songs of all time list!!
Colby Bradshaw
Yes!!!! Totally
Ciaron Mackle
Brilliant song this loved it from the first time I heard it
Butterfly wing
Yup ppl love their mellow songs
fabio Cars
Sim. Nós temos uma banda assim aqui no Brasil:. https://youtu.be/lsEEjyY6BAg
delboy20091
Travis are one of the best bands ever. I hope all fans know that by watching these official videos on this official page add towards sales, as well as streaming on spotify. I'm not sure everyone knows. I. know not everyone cares but they deserve to sell more.
Alejandro Nuñez
Brilliant song, one of my favorite bands along with Oasis, Radiohead, The Smiths and Supergrass