my type of band

Song title : Out In Space
Sung by: Travis
Written by : Fran Healy (the band leader of Travis)

"The Boy With No Name" is the fifth album by Scottish band Travis. I discovered them through their song "All I Wanna Do Is Rock" in 1997. It was the year they released their first album, "Good Feeling". I absolutely love their music as it incorporates a slight tinge of celtic rhythm and the rest is filled with tons of alternative-rock passion. Truly unique and Fran Healy is a talented songwriter and singer.

As great as this band is, these fellows often are ignored by mainstream listeners, rock music followers and it is not surprising that they titled their third album, "The Invisible Band"; although their music is very pleasing to the ears. Their music is highly melodic and Fran produces sensible lyrics as we can read below.

I especially like "Out In Space" from their new album mainly because the lyrics have so much of depth and wisdom. Enjoy!

Oh my friend
We have spent
So much time looking for someone to blame
'Cause we're the same
And jealous games
Take up time we could spend on other things
Oh my friend
If it ends
Let us go and then not look back again
We can’t be
You and me
Taking ourselves much too seriously

But out in space
A million miners work upon
The night’s coal face
But all I see is black
And all the stars look back
At me

Oh my friend
What a friend
I’d have thought you’d have stayed here till the end
To take a bow
Draw the crowd
We’re just words in the sand at high tide

But out in space
A million miners work upon
The night’s coal face
And all I see is black
And all the stars look back at me

Oh my friend
We should spend
Some more time looking from the other end
'Cause we would see
So clearly
We blame ourselves as much as we blame we
We blame ourselves as much as we blame we
We blame ourselves

keep the faith

It is very easy to have faith in God, religion, an ideology, our family, lovers, friends, an idea, science and art when life is not troubled by broken dreams and death. When the nectar of paradise is the only substance our tongue tastes each time we open our eyes, we believe that our faith in whatever it is works and nothing will ever go wrong. To the contrary, once we are surrounded by problems, challenges and obstacles, we either cling on to our faith to help us through or question its validity and reliability.

But what is faith? Maybe the question should be, why do need to have faith in anything? Very often, it is about having convictions in something outside of ourselves like our complete devotion to a particular religious creed, a system, a person, an opinion or some sacred texts. By having something to believe in externally, it provides us the security of not being alone. That something bigger and infinite are constantly watching over us to put us on the right passageway. It is safe and certain to have a sure way of life and to follow a proper code of conduct.

We prefer to believe (or have faith in) that we have freedom of choice, speech and thought. The American constitution guarantees this and so do many constitutions of the democratic world. What is intriguing is that our most basic right to talk, to choose what we want in life and what views we wish to follow have to be written down in a piece of parchment, signed and sealed by some fellows who swear to protect us from tyranny and nepotism. But then, who practices autocracy in the name of democracy? Who oppresses the impoverished to earn more profits only to donate them again in the name of charity?

It is amazing what faith can do to man. It is equally puzzling how the lack of faith can weaken man. Since the beginning of mankind, we have always sought for answers to the same question – our creation, the mysteries of life itself. Until today, we are still dabbling on the fringes of reality. One theory is as probable as the next. Every hypothesis debunks itself and all is in a constant flux. And so faith keeps our feet planted firmly on the ground and offers temporary satisfactions to our lonely souls.