Driftwood (Travis song)
Driftwood is the second single from Travis's second album, The Man Who, released on 17 May 1999. It was recorded in January 1999 at RAK Studios in London. The song lasts 3 minutes 33 seconds and was released on Independiente. It was written by Fran Healy and produced by Nigel Godrich.
The track became Travis's biggest hit up to that point, peaking at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart.
Meaning and writing: Fran Healy said the title comes from advice he received not to leave college to chase the band. The lyrics describe someone who has cut connections and is like driftwood—broken, hollow, and not useful. The song is about someone with great potential who is scared to try, but if they gave it a go, they could make themselves and others happy. The chorus idea came after Healy watched an episode of Cheers in which a worker overhears the boss planning to fire the “driftwood” from the company. While doing the dishes, the first line of the chorus came to him. They originally considered the line “caterpillars turn to butterflies,” but shortened it to “pillars turn to butter” to fit the tune.
Video: The music video shows Healy as a photographer in a school about to take a class photo. He checks the sky for perfect weather; when the pupils line up, the rest of the band and teachers appear. He sets the timer and runs to his seat, but it starts to rain heavily. The pupils rush for shelter, while the band stays in their seats as rain pours. The video was filmed at St Philomena's Catholic High School for Girls in Carshalton, Surrey. Travis later had a cameo playing teachers in the 2007 film Son of Rambow.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:55 (CET).