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.
Village Man
Travis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just feel I'm stuck up against the clock
I don't really want to rock tonight
I only want to hold you tight
I don't want to roll, baby don't want to roll
I just feel I'm cold like I'm getting old
I don't really want to roll tonight
Please, please don't turn out the light
Rock'n'roll village man
Northern soul peter pan
Rock'n'roll rocket man
Skater phase desperate Dan
Rock'n'roll never sounded better
I don't want to be, baby don't want to be
I just feel it's me falling off the tree
I don't really want to be tonight
I only want to keep you right
I don't want to try, baby don't want to try
I just feel I'm dry trying to get by
I don't really want to try tonight
I only want to hold you tight
Please, please don't turn out the light
Rock'n'roll rocket man
Skater phase desperate Dan
Rock'n'roll village man
Northern soul peter pan
You can...
I don't want to rock, baby don't want to rock
I just feel I'm stuck up against the clock
I don't really want to rock tonight
I only want to keep you right
I don't want to roll, baby don't want to roll
I just feel I'm cold like I'm getting old
I don't really want to roll tonight
I only want to hold you tight
Please, please don't turn out the light
The lyrics of Travis's song "Village Man" speak to a longing for intimacy and connection in the midst of feeling stuck, cold, and anxious about time. The singer repeatedly states that they don't want to rock or roll, indicating a desire to slow down and be present with their partner instead of chasing after the excitement and adrenaline of the music scene. They express a sense of falling off the tree and feeling dry trying to get by, suggesting a loss of direction and purpose. However, through their plea to keep the lights on and stay close, they convey a hope for a brighter future and a meaningful relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to rock, baby don't want to rock
The singer does not feel like partying tonight
I just feel I'm stuck up against the clock
They believe that they are running out of time
I don't really want to rock tonight
The singer does not want to attend any events or parties
I only want to hold you tight
They only want to be with their partner
I don't want to roll, baby don't want to roll
They don't want to go out and socialize
I just feel I'm cold like I'm getting old
They are feeling old and not in the mood for activities they used to enjoy
I only want to hold you tight
They only want to be close to their partner
Please, please don't turn out the light
They want their lover to stay with them
Rock'n'roll village man
The artist has a nostalgic image of themselves as a member of a rock 'n' roll community
Northern soul peter pan
The artist sees themselves as a youthful member of the Northern Soul scene, trying to hold on to their youthful outlook
Rock'n'roll rocket man
The singer pictures themselves as a rocket or rising star in the rock 'n' roll world
Skater phase desperate Dan
They recall themselves as a young skater, possibly reckless and trying to find their way in life
Rock'n'roll never sounded better
Despite their current state, they still enjoy listening to rock 'n' roll music
I don't want to be, baby don't want to be
The singer is unsure about who they are and who they want to be
I just feel it's me falling off the tree
They feel like they're no longer a part of the youth culture they used to identify with
I don't really want to be tonight
They don't want to do anything or be anyone tonight
I only want to keep you right
They want to protect and care for their partner
I don't want to try, baby don't want to try
They are tired of trying or putting in effort
I just feel I'm dry trying to get by
They feel like they're struggling to make it through life
Please, please don't turn out the light
They don't want to be alone
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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