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.
The Dear
Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What is wrong with me?
'cos I'm fine between the lines
Be not afraid
Help is on it's way
A sentence suspended in air
Way over there
What else could it be?
As nightshade descends like a veil
Under the sail of my heart
Be still, don't stop until the end
Dear dairy
What is wrong with me?
'cos I'm fine between the lines
Travis's song "Dear Diary" tells the story of someone who is struggling with a personal issue that they cannot even fully identify themselves. The repeated lyric "What is wrong with me?" highlights the character's confusion and frustration with their own thoughts and feelings. However, they cling onto the idea that there is hope for them, with the line "Be not afraid, help is on its way."
The line "As nightshade descends like a veil" is a metaphor for the darkness and suffocation that the character feels. They are trapped under the "sail of my heart," unable to escape their own emotions. The phrase "Be still, don't stop until the end" serves as a reminder to keep pushing through the struggles no matter what.
Overall, the song tackles themes of confusion and hopelessness, but also the promise of support and the need to keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear diary
A personal address to the diary
What is wrong with me?
Expressing confusion and frustration about personal difficulties
'cos I'm fine between the lines
Appearing well to others despite internal struggles
Be not afraid
Encouraging oneself to be brave despite the circumstances
Help is on its way
Finding hope in the possibility of assistance from others
A sentence suspended in air
An uncertain and unresolved thought or idea
Way over there
A distance between oneself and the unresolved issue
Dear diary
Continuing the personal address to the diary
What else could it be?
Continuing to question the cause of personal struggles
As nightshade descends like a veil
Describing a dark and ominous feeling
Under the sail of my heart
Feeling overwhelmed by internal struggles
Be still, don't stop until the end
Finding strength in perseverance and determination to overcome difficulties
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FRANCIS HEALY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind