Everything is open
Nothing is set in stone
Rivers turn to Ocean
Oceans tide you home
Home is where the heart is
But your heart had to roam
Drifting over bridges
Never to return
Watching bridges burn
CHORUS
You're driftwood floating underwater
Breaking into pieces, pieces, pieces
Just driftwood hollow and of no use
Waterfalls will find you, bind you, grind you
Nobody is an island
Everyone has to go
Pillars turn to butter
Butterflying low
Low is where your heart is
But your heart has to grow
Drifting under bridges
Never with the flow
And you really didn't think it would happen
But it really is the end of the line
So I'm sorry that you turned to driftwood
But you've been drifting for a long long time
Everywhere there's trouble
Nowhere's safe to go
Pushes turn to shovel's
Shovelling the snow
Frozen you have chosen
The path you wish to go
Drifting now forever
And forever more
Until you reach your shore
CHORUS
And you really didn't think it would happen
But it really is the end of the line
So I'm sorry that you turned to driftwood
But you've been drifting for a long long time
You've been drifting for a long long time
You've been drifting for a long long
Drifting for a long long time
Nothing is set in stone
Rivers turn to Ocean
Oceans tide you home
Home is where the heart is
But your heart had to roam
Drifting over bridges
Never to return
Watching bridges burn
You're driftwood floating underwater
Breaking into pieces, pieces, pieces
Just driftwood hollow and of no use
Waterfalls will find you, bind you, grind you
Everyone has to go
Pillars turn to butter
Butterflying low
Low is where your heart is
But your heart has to grow
Drifting under bridges
Never with the flow
And you really didn't think it would happen
But it really is the end of the line
So I'm sorry that you turned to driftwood
But you've been drifting for a long long time
Nowhere's safe to go
Pushes turn to shovel's
Shovelling the snow
Frozen you have chosen
The path you wish to go
Drifting now forever
And forever more
Until you reach your shore
But it really is the end of the line
So I'm sorry that you turned to driftwood
But you've been drifting for a long long time
You've been drifting for a long long time
You've been drifting for a long long
Drifting for a long long time
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I'll admit that I didn't quite understand the song until I heard Fran explain. He said it's about that someone that everybody knows...that someone who just sits on their arse all day playing video games. You know they have so much potential, but they are throwing their life away.
Indeed, Arkanna is right. I have a CD called "Absolute Travis" or something similar, and Fran explains how when he was writing it he was thinking up things that become other things when they mature. He got Caterpillars turn to Butterflies, and tried to shorten it with Carter turn to Flies, but that didn't make sense. So then he tried Pillars turn to Butter, and he went with that because it gives you the image of some Ancient Greek architectural Columns/Pillars that turn to butter, or in other-words break and become nothing but rubble and debris. Also when I saw them in Concert, Fran said before playing this song that it was about that person that everyone knows that has so much potential but drifts and does nothing with their lives.
"pillars turn to butter" isn´t nonsensical. on vh1 storytellers fran explainned it meant catterpillars turn to butterflies, but that was to long so they had to cut a few syllables.
I've watched the entire concert of their DVD "More than us", and before playing Driftwood Francis explain it's about those mates you surely have. They have so much potencial, he says, but they're wasting it playing play station while smoking, and talking shit.
Travis' lyrics are often called simple, as it were a fault. But Driftwood is deceptively simple. It is literally a song about a piece of wood that is consantly drifting from river to ocean. For me it creates a wonderful image of the vast beauty of nature. But without even a mention of human struggles or emotions, it seems apparent that this is also about a person who is drawn to roam instead of finding a place where they are comfortable in their own skin. Yes both interpratations are obvious, but creating such a metaphorical song is not easy. This is a beautiful song of simple genius.
hmm i dunno maybe from my personal experience. driftwood is like someone who wants so much in life, so insatiable that nothing seems to give her any contentment. so she just continues only thinking about herself, hurting so many people along the way but in the end, she will end up a driftwood, floating, devoid of really any direction, and devoid of real happiness.
hmm i dunno maybe from my personal experience. driftwood is like someone who wants so much in life, so insatiable that nothing seems to give her any contentment. so she just continues only thinking about herself, hurting so many people along the way but in the end, she will end up a driftwood, floating, devoid of really any direction, and devoid of real happiness.
asides from being a fantastic song...reminds me of a guy i know...whos just drifting with the crowd, theyre taking his real personality away from him and hes not the guy i used to know...so to me, he is the driftwood in this song...and its upsetting.
violetzebras is exactly right. i always pictured this song to be about someone who fran felt was just wasting away, becoming "driftwood". i think he also had a little bit of fun with the song by adding nonsensical parts ["pillars turn to butter, butterflying low"]. a great song to take it easy to.
FAVORITE PART: [depends on mood]
oh my smacks forehead i wish i'd caught on to that sooner!
belteshazzar, you are going to die and go to hell, and demons are going to eat you and enjoy the taste. God hates you.
i'm sorry, that was mean. God loves you, even though you are a douchebag.