Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me？

1999

Travis - Why Does It Always Rain On Me？ (1999) Director: John Hardwick Era: Post-Britpop Transition (1999) - Late-cycle British indie rock crossover moment; acoustic-led emotionalism displacing Britpop swagger, Travis bridging guitar-pop and mainstream melodicism at the cusp of the millennium High curatorial value as a primary document of the Post-Britpop transition and one of the most culturally resonant British indie singles of 1999. The video is notable for its surrealist-whimsical narrative, confirmed production pedigree (Hardwick, Davis, Schlesinger), and its ironic visual counterpoint to the song's title. The Glastonbury 1999 context further elevates the song and its promotional materials to historical artefact status. The HD upload preserves a video originally shot in the early digital era with analogue-warm grading, making it a useful technical reference for period production aesthetics. Context: Released 2 August 1999, 'Why Does It Always Rain On Me?' was Travis's third single from their second album The Man Who (Independiente). It became the band's international breakthrough, peaking at No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart. Its cultural moment was crystallised by a legendary performance at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival, where rain began to fall precisely as the first line was sung, a coincidence that generated enormous press coverage and catalysed the single's commercial ascent. The song arrived at a pivotal juncture in British rock: Britpop's fraternal swagger was receding, and Travis, alongside emerging acts like Coldplay and Keane, were establishing a more emotionally candid, acoustic-inflected alternative. The song's writer, Fran Healy, composed it partly in Eilat, Israel, and partly in Madrid, drawing on personal dejection and industry anxiety. In 2000, Healy received two Ivor Novello Awards for the song: Best Songwriter and Best Contemporary Song. Director notes: Directed by John Hardwick; filmed on location in Cornwall, UK. The video features a surrealist narrative in which the band locks frontman Fran Healy, wearing a kilt, in the boot of a 1970s Vauxhall Viva; Healy escapes and pursues the rest of the band into a disused mining quarry. Underwater sequences were shot by underwater cinematographer Mark Silk in the tank at Oceanic SW Limited, Honiton, Devon. The band subsequently reappears performing aboard a pontoon set built on a river, which floats away at the video's conclusion. Notably, it does not actually rain at any point during the video despite the song's title. Director of Photography was Ben Davis (later DP on Guardians of the Galaxy); producer was Derrin Schlesinger (later producer of Four Lions). Hardwick had previously directed Travis's 'Writing To Reach You' video. The BrandBees source quotes Hardwick: 'It was whimsical and a bit bonkers, but there was real talent involved.'