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 Sea
Travis Lyrics
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Flexing out with every wave
Many ancient sailors graves
The sea will save them all
And what a day for us to swim
Thunderous arms are closing in
They're hugging us like kith and kin
Pull us in below
And I was wondering why
Why should we float
When you can swallow the sky
When you can swallow gray boats
They say the moon controls the sea
Hand in hand in harmony
Maybe that's like you and me
Eternally to be
And you will crash against the land
Turning rocks into the sand
We'll do it like we always planned
Just hand in hand, alone
And I was wondering why
Why should we flow
When you can swallow the sky
And you can swallow gray boats
The song 'The Sea' by Travis evokes the power and strength of the ocean. The lyrics speak of the sea as a powerful force capable of both destruction and saving lives. The image of the sea flexing out with every wave and hugging swimmers like kith and kin makes us realize how insignificant we are in front of the vastness of the ocean. The ocean is also seen as a place of perpetual mystery and danger with many ancient sailor's graves.
The second stanza shifts the focus from the sea to the moon. The lyrics suggest how the moon and the sea are in harmony with each other. This harmony is compared to the eternal bond between two people, like the bond between the singer and their significant other. The last stanza takes an introspective turn as the lyrics talk about the waves crashing against the land and turning rocks into sand. This is seen as a metaphor for how time erodes everything in life. The lyrics reassure the listener that despite the constant change and uncertainty in life, the two of them will face it together, hand in hand, alone but not lonely.
Line by Line Meaning
They say she is so strong and brave
People describe the sea as a powerful and courageous force
Flexing out with every wave
The sea demonstrates its strength with each and every wave
Many ancient sailors graves
The sea has claimed the lives of countless sailors throughout history
The sea will save them all
Despite the danger it poses, the sea has become an essential element of human life and survival
And what a day for us to swim
The artist finds pleasure in swimming in the sea despite its potential dangers
Thunderous arms are closing in
The waves are growing stronger and more intense
They're hugging us like kith and kin
The waves embrace the swimmer, almost as if they are part of the same family
Pull us in below
The waves are powerful enough to pull the swimmer beneath the surface
And I was wondering why
The artist poses a question to himself
Why should we float
The artist questions why humans choose to float instead of fully immersing themselves in the sea
When you can swallow the sky
The singer imagines the sea as being so powerful that it could consume the sky itself
When you can swallow gray boats
The artist continues to imagine the sea as a force capable of even consuming large ocean vessels
They say the moon controls the sea
There is a popular belief that the moon has an effect on the tides of the sea
Hand in hand in harmony
The singer compares the relationship between the moon and sea to a harmonious partnership
Maybe that's like you and me
The singer draws a parallel between the moon and sea's relationship and possibly his own personal relationship
Eternally to be
The artist envisages his relationship as one that will last forever
And you will crash against the land
The artist envisions the sea waves crashing against the shore
Turning rocks into the sand
The waves have the power to erode the land and create sand on the beach
We'll do it like we always planned
The singer sees himself and his loved one being together just as they planned for a long time
Just hand in hand, alone
The artist and his loved one will face any challenge together, alone
Contributed by Harper L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.