Wire's debut album, Pink Flag (1977), contains songs which are diverse in mood and style, but most use a minimalist punk approach, unorthodox structures, and several songs are under a minute in length; "Field Day For The Sundays" is only 28 seconds long.
Chairs Missing followed in 1978, and found Wire stepping back from the stark minimalism of Pink Flag, with longer, more atmospheric songs and synthesizer parts added by producer Mike Thorne. The experimentation was even more prominent on 154 (1979). Many of the songs had bassist Graham Lewis on lead vocals.
In 1979, creative differences pulled the band in different directions, leading to the Document and Eyewitness LP (1981), a recording of a performance that featured, almost exclusively, new material. The LP came packaged with an EP of a different performance of more new material. Some of these songs, along with others performed but not included on the album, were included on Colin Newman's post-Wire solo albums ("5/10", "We Meet Under Tables"), while others were released by Gilbert and Lewis' primary post-Wire outlet Dome ("And Then...", "Ritual View"). The band disbanded for the first time in 1980
Between 1981-85 Wire ceased recording and performing in favour of solo and non-Wire collaborative projects such as Dome, Cupol, Duet Emmo, and several Colin Newman solo efforts. In 1985, the group reformed as a "beat combo" (a joking reference to early 1960s beat music or even possibly beatniks), with greater use of electronic musical instruments. It released It's Beginning To And Back Again (IBTABA) in 1989, a "live" album of mostly re-worked versions of songs from The Ideal Copy and A Bell Is a Cup...Until It Is Struck, heavily re-arranged, edited, and remixed. A new song from the album, "Eardrum Buzz", became the band's biggest charting single.
Gotobed left the band in 1990, after the release of the album Manscape. After his departure, the band dropped one letter from its name, becoming "Wir" (still pronounced "wire"), and released The First Letter in 1991. Once again, the band disbanded in 1992 There followed a further period of solo recordings, during which Newman founded the Swim ~ label, and later Githead with his wife (ex-Minimal Compact bassist Malka Spigel), while Wire remained an occasional collaboration. It was not until 1999 that Wire again became a full-time entity.
With Gotobed back in the line-up (now using his birth name, Robert Grey), the group initially reworked much of their back catalogue for a performance at Royal Festival Hall on 26 February 2000. Wire's reception during a short tour of the US, and a number of UK gigs, convinced the band to continue. Two EPs and an album Send (2003) followed, as well as collaborations with stage designer Es Devlin and artists Jake and Dinos Chapman. In 2004 the band split once more.
In 2006, Wire's 1970s albums were re-released with original vinyl track listings. Rumours abounded of a renewal of activity to mark the 30th anniversary of the band's debut as a 4 piece and the re-release of Pink Flag in 2007. A third Read & Burn EP was released in November, 2007.
A full-length album of new material entitled Object 47 was released in July 2008. Bruce Gilbert was not involved in this recording, although according to Colin Newman, he did feature in a minimal capacity on the third Read and Burn EP. 2011 saw the release of the band's twelfth studio album Red Barked Tree.
Ambitious
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Digital time base
New hours for these days
New files engaged
Strangeness detectors
Collage charmers
Magnetic behavior
When it's cold I feel cold
When it's hot I feel ambitious
Fit for a princess
Hot on the heels of an angel
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? I feel ambitious
The ideal copy is the same
The ideal copy has your name
When you can't, it makes you can
When you aren't, it makes you am
When it's cold I feel cold
When it's hot I feel ambitious
Fit for a princess
Hot on the heels of an angel
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? I feel ambitious
When it's cold I feel cold
When it's hot I feel ambitious
Fit for a princess
Hot on the heels of an angel
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? I feel ambitious
The ideal copy is what you want
When you won't, it makes you will
The ideal copy makes you happy
The ideal copy
When it's cold I feel cold
When it's hot I feel ambitious
Fit for a princess
Hot on the heels of an angel
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you hot? I feel ambitious
The ideal copy is
See I A D N A see K G be
The ideal copy
P L O I A K G I are A
The ideal copy
I M F P I are A P P A I M F H
The ideal copy
S O S L O P P I be see H you T
The ideal copy
I T I K are you see I T T S O S one H you T
The ideal copy
H2O see I I T, one two HU, T H2O H O T
The ideal copy
The ideal copy
The song "Ambitious" by Wire is a complex piece that elicits different interpretations from listeners. However, it primarily deals with the themes of change, ambition, and the pursuit of an ideal copy of oneself. The lyrics are abstract, with verses that juxtapose disparate concepts such as "chain link route-ways" and "strangeness detectors" to create a surreal atmosphere.
The opening lines of the song suggest a technological dystopia where traditional time and space have been replaced with digital time bases and new files. The second verse introduces the concept of a new ideal copy, a perfect version of oneself, which can make one feel happy and ambitious. The chorus further reinforces this idea, describing a sensation of ambition and feeling fit for a princess or hot on the heels of an angel.
The song's climax in the final lines of the song further emphasizes the concept of the ideal copy. It proposes a range of seemingly nonsensical phrases that, when rearranged in certain ways, form a coherent statement. Ultimately, the song has a surreal, almost robotic feel to it, evoking the sense of a world consumed by technology and the pursuit of perfection.
Line by Line Meaning
Chain link route ways
New paths are being paved using interconnected digital networks
Digital time base
New technology is changing how we measure and mark time
New hours for these days
New opportunities are being created for us to take advantage of
New files engaged
New information is being collected and analyzed to inform these opportunities
Strangeness detectors
We are constantly searching for new and novel ideas
Collage charmers
We are seeking to blend different ideas and concepts together
Magnetic behavior
We are attracted to certain things and ideas by their inherent appeal
Quarks and order
We are discovering new fundamental rules that govern how things work
When it's cold I feel cold
I am affected by my surroundings and feel what is happening around me
When it's hot I feel ambitious
When conditions are right, I feel energized and ready to take on new challenges
Fit for a princess
I feel capable and confident, like royalty
Hot on the heels of an angel
I am pursuing something wonderful with great urgency
Are you hot? Are you hot?
Are you feeling the same excitement and drive that I am?
The ideal copy is the same
When we strive for perfection, we seek uniformity in our work
The ideal copy has your name
We seek to put our own personal stamp on what we create
When you can't, it makes you can
Striving for perfection pushes us to overcome our limitations
When you aren't, it makes you am
We are defined by our successes and failures in our pursuit of perfection
The ideal copy is what you want
Our own desires and goals shape what we consider to be the perfect outcome
When you won't, it makes you will
Getting what we want requires us to be persistent and not give up easily
The ideal copy makes you happy
Achieving perfection brings us great satisfaction and fulfillment
See I A D N A see K G be
We are constantly striving to understand and unravel the mysteries of the universe
P L O I A K G I are A
We are continually seeking to create new and innovative solutions to problems
I M F P I are A P P A I M F H
We are always searching for ways to improve ourselves and our work
S O S L O P P I be see H you T
Sometimes we need help and guidance on our journey towards perfection
I T I K are you see I T T S O S one H you T
It's important to surround ourselves with people who can help us achieve our goals
H2O see I I T, one two HU, T H2O H O T
Sometimes the key to our success is simply having the right elements and conditions in place
The ideal copy
Perfection is something we are always striving for, even if we never quite reach it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pierre Clary
on Champs
i believe this song is about amphetamine abuse, endemic on the punk scene...Speed, "more speed than before ,less time than before (tolerance build up)........
Pierre Clary
on Champs
The song "Champs" by Wire is an intense and fast-paced track that addresses themes of competitiveness, the desire for success, and the sacrifices one must make in order to achieve their goals. The repeated phrases "The taste of champions, the pace, the pace, the speed, the need, the need to seed, the chance to die" suggest that the speaker is wholly dedicated to winning and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. The subsequent line "Another dead don't cry" implies that the speaker has seen others perish in their pursuit of victory and is not phased by it. The stanza "You've still got speed, you'll maybe bleed, there's less time" highlights the idea that time is running out and that one must act quickly if they wish to be successful.
The next stanza begins with the phrase "More speed than before, you've done it before, there is no for, what are you doing it for?" which suggests that the speaker is no longer satisfied with their previous achievements and is compelled to push themselves even harder. The line "Want more, want more" is a clear indication that the speaker is never satisfied with what they have and will always strive for more. The repetition of "Another dead don't cry" throughout the song serves as a haunting reminder that the pursuit of success often has a cost, and that cost can be the lives of others.i think this so,
Pierre Clary
on Champs
YOU'RE RICH NOT POOR