“Driftwood” by Travis

Travis followed "Writing to Reach You" with "Driftwood", the second single from The Man Who, released on Independiente in 1999, and it became their biggest hit up to that point, climbing to 13 in the UK.

Fran told NME the song is meant for someone with plenty of potential who never uses it, too scared of falling flat and looking foolish to throw themselves in, even though going for it would make them and everyone around them happier. Its central figure has cut every tie and drifted off, like the wood of the title. He traced the title to a close friend who had warned him against leaving college to concentrate on the band, and the chorus arrived while he was watching Cheers, in an episode where an employee overhears the boss vowing to clear the "driftwood" out of the company.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.