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Side (song)

{{Short description|2001 single by Travis}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Side

| cover = Side single.png

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Travis

| album = The Invisible Band

| B-side =

| written = 2000

| released = {{start date|2001|8|14|df=y}}

| recorded =

| studio = Ocean Way (Los Angeles)

| genre =

| length = 3:59

| label = Independiente

| writer = Fran Healy

| producer = Nigel Godrich

| prev_title = Sing

| prev_year = 2001

| next_title = Flowers in the Window

| next_year = 2002

}}

"Side" is a song by Scottish rock band Travis, released as the second single from their third studio album, The Invisible Band (2001). Frontman Fran Healy began writing the song by composing a rap, which he would later remove, and penning a riff that would support it. In February 2000, he completed the song's lyrics, which describe how everyone shares life and explains that there is no greater existence for anyone who seeks it, as everyone shares the same "side" of life. The song was released as a radio single in the United States in August 2001 and was issued in the United Kingdom the following month.

Produced by Nigel Godrich, "Side" received mixed reviews from music critics and peaked at number 14 on the UK singles chart, becoming a top-50 hit in Ireland, Italy, and New Zealand as well as on two US Billboard charts. The single releases include live versions of "Driftwood" and Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes", as well as a cover of the Bob Dylan song "You're a Big Girl Now". The song's music video has a UFO theme and features Travis being abducted by aliens after performing the song.

Background and composition

Writing about the song's origin on the band's official website, Fran Healy recalled that the first part of "Side" that he conceived was rap segment, which he would later discard. After completing the rap, he composed the riff and music over the next few weeks so it would complement the rap verse, toying around with the lyrics until penning the final result in February 2000 during a plane trip. It was during this trip that he also created the name of the parent album, The Invisible Band.{{cite web|url=http://www.travisonline.com/|title=The Invisible Band : Tracklisting|website=travisonline.com|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020915154121/http://www.travisonline.com/|archive-date=15 September 2002|access-date=2 April 2021}} To view information, click Preview, then Tracklisting | Song Info. Healy has stated that "Side" is about how people think that there is a better life for them somewhere in the world, but in actuality, no one is better off than anyone else as life is shared by everyone; in other words, everyone stands on one "side" of life.{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/00s/2001/BB-2001-05-26.pdf|title='Band' Sees Travis Reclaim Its Music|last=Flick|first=Larry|author-link=Larry Flick|magazine=Billboard|volume=113|issue=21|page=22|date=26 May 2001|access-date=30 March 2021}} Many cliché expressions make up the lyric, such as "The grass is always greener on the other side".{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/music/travis-6400220|title=Travis|last=Wilonsky|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Wilonsky|website=Dallas Observer|date=7 June 2001|access-date=1 April 2021}}

Critical reception

Reviewing The Invisible Band on AllMusic, MacKenzie Wilson wrote that "Side" was "instantly endearing" and noted its "Beatlesque" lyrics.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-invisible-band-mw0000010373|title=AllMusic Review by MacKenzie Wilson|last=Wilson|first=MacKenzie|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=1 April 2021}} Andy Frankowski of Drowned in Sound compared the track's sound to that of the band's previous album, The Man Who (1999), specifically mentioning the guitars backing the lyrics "grass is always greener on the other side / the neighbour's got a new car that you wanna drive".{{cite web|url=https://drownedinsound.com/releases/2641/reviews/1664-|title=Album Review: Travis – The Invisible Band|last=Frankowski|first=Andy|website=Drowned in Sound|date=18 July 2001|access-date=1 April 2021}} Pitchfork writer Kristin Sage Rockermann said that she liked the composition but criticised the "cliché" lyrics, such as "The grass is always greener on the other side" and "There is no wrong, there is no right".{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/8144-the-invisible-band/|title=Travis: The Invisible Band Album Review|last=Sage Rockermann|first=Kristin|website=Pitchfork|date=12 June 2001|access-date=1 April 2021}} In 2015, music website Pop Rescue was also ambivalent toward the song's lyrical content, particularly the chorus, and attributed the song's lukewarm reception on the UK singles chart to the lack of a "catchy" refrain.{{cite web|url=https://poprescue.com/2015/12/16/pop-rescue-invisible-band-travis-cd-2001/|title=Review: "The Invisible Band" by Travis (CD, 2001)|author=Pop Rescue|publisher=Pop Rescue|date=16 December 2015|access-date=1 April 2021}}

Music video

The video for the song has a UFO theme. It begins with three boys looking for UFOs through their bedroom skylight. When one hovers overhead, they go outside and follow it, only for it to land in a cavern in the desert, where they find Travis performing the song. At the end of the video, the band are abducted by aliens while they are performing out in the desert. The clip ends with a newspaper article regarding their disappearance.

Track listings

The single's B-sides include two tracks taken from a gig the group played at the Glasgow Barrowlands in June 2001, including their hit single "Driftwood" and a cover of the Mott the Hoople song "All the Young Dudes", which was originally written by David Bowie, and features lead vocals by Dougie Payne. Another issue of the single includes a cover of the Bob Dylan song "You're a Big Girl Now".

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{{col-2}}

  • UK CD1 and European CD single 1{{cite AV media notes|title=Side|others=Travis|year=2001|type=UK CD1 liner notes|publisher=Independiente|id=ISOM 54MS}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Side|others=Travis|year=2001|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Independiente|id=ISM 671746 2, 6717462000}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/side-pt-1-mw0000976723|title=Travis – Side, Pt. 1|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=25 February 2021}}
  1. "Side" – 3:56
  2. "Driftwood" (live at Barrowlands) – 3:54
  3. "All the Young Dudes" (live at Barrowlands) – 4:04
  • UK CD2{{cite AV media notes|title=Side|others=Travis|year=2001|type=UK CD2 liner notes|publisher=Independiente|id=ISOM 54SMS}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/side-pt-2-mw0001892684|title=Travis – Side, Pt. 2|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=25 February 2021}}
  1. "Side" – 3:57
  2. "You're a Big Girl Now" – 4:45
  3. "Ancient Train" – 2:35
  • UK 7-inch and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Side|others=Travis|year=2001|type=UK 7-inch single sleeve|publisher=Independiente|id=ISOM 54S}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Side|others=Travis|year=2001|type=UK cassette single sleeve|publisher=Independiente|id=ISOM 54MCS}}

:A. "Side"

:B. "All the Young Dudes" (live at Barrowlands)

{{col-2}}

  • UK digital download and European CD single 2{{cite AV media notes|title=Side|others=Travis|year=2001|type=European CD single liner notes|publisher=Independiente|id=ISM 671746 1, 6717461011}}{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/side-single/202359605|title=Side – Single|publisher=Apple Music|access-date=24 April 2021}}
  1. "Side" – 3:56
  2. "Ancient Train" – 2:35
  • Australian CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Side|others=Travis|year=2001|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Independiente|id=671779 2}}
  1. "Side"
  2. "Ancient Train"
  3. "Driftwood" (live at Barrowlands)
  4. "All the Young Dudes" (live at Barrowlands)

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Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from The Invisible Band booklet.{{cite AV media notes|title=The Invisible Band|title-link=The Invisible Band|others=Travis|year=2001|type=UK CD album booklet|publisher=Independiente|id=ISOM 25CD, 5030502011}}

Studios

Personnel

  • Fran Healy – writing
  • Nigel Godrich – production, mixing
  • Darrell Thorp – assistant engineer at Ocean Way Studios
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering

Charts

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=Weekly charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2001–2002)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{single chart|Australiapandora|71|url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020220130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue607.pdf|urltitle=Issue 607|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/00s/2001/MM-2001-10-06.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=19|issue=41|page=15|date=6 October 2001|access-date=13 September 2020}}

|49

{{single chart|France|53|artist=Travis|song=Side|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}
{{single chart|Germany|86|artist=Travis|song=Side|songid=4880|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}
{{single chart|Ireland3|33|artist=Travis|rowheader=true|access-date=17 January 2020}}
{{single chart|Italy|13|artist=Travis|song=Side|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|97|artist=Travis|song=Side|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|20|artist=Travis|song=Side|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}
{{single chart|Scotland|9|artist=Travis|song=Sing|date=20010929|rowheader=true|access-date=2 December 2018}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|52|artist=Travis|song=Side|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}
{{single chart|UK|14|artist=Travis|song=Sing|date=20010929|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultpopsongs|19|artist=Travis|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}
{{single chart|Billboardadultalternativesongs|14|artist=Travis|rowheader=true|access-date=9 February 2014}}

{{col-2}}

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"|Chart (2002)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|US Adult Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=Most-Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 2002|magazine=Airplay Monitor|volume=10|issue=51|page=16|date=20 December 2002}}

|54

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Region

!scope="col"|Date

!scope="col"|Format(s)

!scope="col"|Label(s)

!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"|United States

|14 August 2001

|Alternative radio

|{{hlist|Independiente|Epic}}

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2001/RR-2001-08-10.pdf|title=Alternative: Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1414|page=104|date=10 August 2001|access-date=24 April 2021}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"|United Kingdom

|17 September 2001

|{{hlist|CD|cassette}}

|rowspan="3"|Independiente

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/2001/Music-Week-2001-09-15.pdf|title=New Releases – For Week Starting September 17, 2001: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=37|date=15 September 2001|access-date=16 August 2021}}

24 September 2001

|7-inch vinyl

|{{cite magazine|title=New Releases – For Week Starting September 24, 2001: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=35|date=22 September 2001}}

scope="row"|Australia

|8 October 2001

|CD

|{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/issue606.pdf|title=The ARIA Report: New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 8th October 2001|publisher=ARIA|page=24|date=8 October 2001|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020220130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue606.pdf|archive-date=20 February 2002|access-date=24 April 2021}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

scope="row"|United States

|22 October 2001

|Triple A radio

|{{hlist|Independiente|Epic}}

|{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/2000s/2001/RR-2001-10-19.pdf|title=Triple A: Going for Adds|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1424|page=111|date=19 October 2001|access-date=24 April 2021}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{Travis}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2001 singles

Category:2001 songs

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:Independiente (record label) singles

Category:Music videos directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris

Category:Song recordings produced by Nigel Godrich

Category:Songs written by Fran Healy (musician)

Category:Travis (band) songs