The Beautiful Occupation

2003 single by Travis

"The Beautiful Occupation"

Single by Travis
from the album  12 Memories
B-side|

* "The Score",
* "I Don't Mean To Get High",
* "Distraction",
* "Back in the Day"

Released| 15 December 2003 (2003-12-15)
Recorded| Late 2001
Genre| Indie rock
Length| 3:47
Label| Independiente
Songwriter(s)| Fran Healy
Producer(s)| Steve Orchard, Travis, Tchad Blake
Travis singles chronology
| "Re-Offender"
(2003)  | "The Beautiful Occupation"
(2003)  | "Love Will Come Through"
(2004)

|
|

"The Beautiful Occupation" is the second single from Scottish alternative rock band Travis' fourth studio album, 12 Memories. The single was released in the UK on 15 December 2003 and peaked at #48 on the UK singles chart. An acoustic version of "The Beautiful Occupation" is included on the 2003 compilation album Hope released by the War Child charity. [1]

## Theme

[edit]

The Beautiful Occupation was written by singer Fran Healy as a protest in response to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[2] The band played the song live at the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards and were joined onstage by naked protestors carrying anti-war placards towards the end of the performance. [3] In a 2021 interview with the NME, Healy revealed that Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien praised Travis for their anti-war position: 'I remember in 2005, Radiohead’s Ed [O’Brien, guitarist] taking me aside and going, ‘I want to say thanks because you were the only band saying anything’, which meant a lot from the band who did ‘Hail to the Thief’”.[4]

## Track listing

[edit]

* UK CD1

1. "The Beautiful Occupation" - 3:47
2. "The Score" - 4:19
3. "I Don't Mean To Get High" - 2:58

* UK CD2

1. "The Beautiful Occupation" - 3:47
2. "Distraction" - 4:11
3. "Back In The Day" - 3:23

* 7" Vinyl

1. "The Beautiful Occupation" - 3:47
2. "I Don't Mean To Get High" - 2:58

* Minidisc

1. "The Beautiful Occupation" - 3:47
2. "Enemy" - 3:22

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (2003–04)  | Peak
position

|

Germany (GfK)[5] | 97
UK Singles (OCC)[6] | 48

## References

[edit]

1. ^ [1] Discogs.com retrieved 27/06/2023
2. ^ Anti War Songs: The Beautiful Occupation AntiWarSongs.com
3. ^ [2] YouTube
4. ^ [3] NME retrieved 27/06/2023
5. ^ "Travis – The Beautiful Occupation" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
6. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 February 2014.

* v
* t
* e

Travis

* Fran Healy
* Dougie Payne
* Andy Dunlop
* Neil Primrose

Studio albums|

* Good Feeling
* The Man Who
* The Invisible Band
* 12 Memories
* The Boy with No Name
* Ode to J. Smith
* Where You Stand
* Everything at Once
* 10 Songs
* L.A. Times

Compilation albums|

* Singles

Extended plays|

* More Than Us EP

Singles|

* "All I Want to Do Is Rock"
* "U16 Girls"
* "Happy"
* "Writing to Reach You"
* "Driftwood"
* "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?"
* "Turn"
* "Coming Around"
* "Sing"
* "Side"
* "Flowers in the Window"
* "Re-Offender"
* "The Beautiful Occupation"
* "Love Will Come Through"
* "Walking in the Sun"
* "Closer"
* "Selfish Jean"
* "My Eyes"
* "J. Smith"
* "Something Anything"
* "Song to Self"
* "Where You Stand"
* "Moving"

Other songs|

* "Another Guy"

Related articles|

* Discography
* List of recorded songs
* "Boulevard of Broken Songs"
* Wreckorder

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work
* MusicBrainz release group

|

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