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 Line Is Fine
Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I will never find another
Quite like you
You make me blue
With the things you do
Look at you you're so familiar
We could be so cool together
Could all be fine
We're on the line
The line is fine
Open up ma window
The line is fine
Standing on the ledge
Well I don't look down
Looking at the people
Well they all look fine
It's not just life or death
Yesterday we talked together
But tonight it's just the weather
Chillin' me
What's the point in silly talking
We could get there quicker walking
Down the line
Could all be fine
But we're on the line
The line is fine
Open up the window
The line is fine
Standing on the ledge
Well I don't look down
Looking at the people
Well they all look fine
But staring at the faces
Standing in a row
Thinking of all the places
That they have yet to go
they don't know
Open up the window
The line is fine
Standing on the ledge
Well I don't look down
Looking at the people
Well they all look fine
It's not just life or death
The line is fine
It's not just life or death
The worst line is mine
The line is fine
The line is fine
The line is fine
The line is fine
The line is fine
The line is fine
The line is fine
Fine
Fine
Fine
The song "The Line Is Fine" by Travis is a song about despair and uncertainty in life. The lyrics describe the feelings of disgust towards oneself and doubt regarding the ability to find someone similar to the person they lost. The lines "Look at me I'm so disgusting" and "I will never find another quite like you" express the singer's self-loathing and desperation. On the other hand, the lines "Look at you, you're so familiar/we could be so cool together/all the time/could all be fine" show the potential for a new connection and hope for the future.
The phrase "on the line" is repeated throughout the song, which could represent the singer's feelings of being in a precarious position, teetering between hope and despair. The line is fine could mean that the situation is not too bad, that everything is okay, or that it is acceptable to be on the fence. It could also mean coming to a compromise or a decision that is okay for now, but not perfect.
Overall, the song highlights the uncertainty of life and the struggle to find meaning and purpose. It is also about finding hope and coping with difficult situations when everything is up in the air.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at me I'm so disgusting
I feel horrible about myself and my appearance
I will never find another
I feel like I'll never find someone like you
Quite like you
Whoever you are, you're unique and special
You make me blue
Your actions make me feel sad and down
With the things you do
Your behavior affects me deeply
Look at you you're so familiar
I know you well and we're comfortable together
We could be so cool together
We have the potential to be great together
All the time
If we were together, it would be constant and consistent
Could all be fine
Our future together could be good
We're on the line
Our relationship is teetering between good and bad
The line is fine
Our relationship is stable for now
Open up ma window
Letting fresh air into the room, a metaphor for taking a risk in life or love
Standing on the ledge
A feeling of being on the edge, close to danger or risk
Well I don't look down
Ignoring the danger and choosing to be brave
Looking at the people
Observing others, perhaps with envy or admiration
It's not just life or death
There's more to life than just survival
Yesterday we talked together
We used to be close and communicate easily
But tonight it's just the weather
Tonight our communication feels superficial
Chillin' me
Making me feel cold or distant
What's the point in silly talking
Small talk feels meaningless or unimportant
We could get there quicker walking
We could make progress more quickly if we cut through the small talk and got to the point
Down the line
In the future, if we stay on this path
But we're on the line
Our fate is uncertain and could go either way
Open up the window
Take a risk and open yourself up to new possibilities
Standing on the ledge
Continuing to take risks, even if it's scary
But staring at the faces
Looking at others' lives and wondering what they're going through
Standing in a row
People lined up, possibly feeling like they're all going in the same direction
Thinking of all the places
Wondering about all the different paths people can take in life
That they have yet to go
There's so much that's unknown in life, and everyone has a unique journey
they don't know
No one can predict the future with complete accuracy
The worst line is mine
Out of all the paths in life, I feel like I'm on the worst one
Fine
An acknowledgement that things may not be perfect, but they're okay for now
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FRANCIS HEALY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind