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.
As We Go
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In which the specimen grows
We swim and splash as we go
Adorning your bodies with ornaments
Protecting your borders with armaments
Shifting your shape and the scenery
Misuse and abuse of machinery
We sing and dance as we go. We sing and dance in the Congo
Remove vegetation, clear the trees
It all becomes part of our history
We swing advance as we go. We swing advance, we’re on show
We sing and dance as we go. We sing and dance in the Congo
The lyrics of Wire's song As We Go seem to be about humanity's impact on the environment, specifically in the Congo. The first stanza sets the scene of a green jungle being the eventual home of some unknown specimen. This could be interpreted as the jungle being the natural habitat for all creatures, but it is left vague. The second stanza speaks of adorning bodies with ornaments, but then protecting borders with armaments. This could mean that we as humans may enjoy decoration and adornment, but ultimately we still feel the need to protect our territories.
The third and fourth stanzas talk about singing and dancing in the Congo, while also referencing the misuse and abuse of machinery. This could imply that while we may be enjoying ourselves, our presence and actions in the Congo are contributing to its destruction with the use of machinery. The fifth and final stanza speaks of removing vegetation and clearing the trees, and how this all becomes a part of our history. This could be interpreted as progress, but also the destruction of habitats and ecosystems.
Overall, the lyrics of As We Go seem to be about the negative impact humans have on the environment, specifically in the Congo. The final line of each stanza, "We sing and dance as we go," adds a layer of ambiguity as to whether the song is criticizing or accepting of our actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Green jungle, the eventual abode
In which the specimen grows
The lush green jungle is where life begins and thrives.
We swim and splash as we go
We move forward playfully, enjoying our journey.
Adorning your bodies with ornaments
Protecting your borders with armaments
We decorate ourselves while also building defense mechanisms to ward off threats.
We sing and dance as we go. We sing and dance in the Congo
We celebrate our existence and culture in the midst of adversity and hardship in the Congo.
Shifting your shape and the scenery
Misuse and abuse of machinery
By altering the environment with the misuse of machines, we are also changing ourselves and our surroundings.
We swing advance as we go. We swing advance, we’re on show
We sing and dance as we go. We sing and dance in the Congo
We continue to make progress and display our abilities, all while keeping our joy and traditions alive in the Congo.
Remove vegetation, clear the trees
It all becomes part of our history
As we destroy nature for our own purposes, we are leaving a lasting impact on our environment and our legacy.
Contributed by Allison E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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