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.
From The Nursery
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I talk on request, I'm never depressed
I'll wink a good time till someone pokes me
One big blue eye out
So simply heady, a birthday teddy
Punches make me bleat, this bare soul is sweet
Keeping you warm at night till someone rubs me
A fun-filled toy
Free on a tightrope lives the animal soap
Safe, used, been tested, body molester
Amphibious charm, scum in several baths
Has blurred my features, so would you like to say
What that silence was meant to intend?
Would you like to see
What violence these eyes can send, send, send, send, send
To your heart
From the nursery?
To your heart
From the nursery
To your heart
From the nursery
To your heart
From the nursery
To your heart
From the nursery
To your heart
From the nursery
To your h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h
From The Nursery by Wire is a song that seems to comment on the act of being a manufactured object or toy, and touches on themes of manipulation, control, and violence. The first stanza describes an X-mas dolly, who is always eager to please and never displays negative emotions like depression. The doll is willing to play and have a good time until someone pokes her, suggesting that she is only capable of reacting to external stimuli. The second stanza mentions a birthday teddy that bleats when punched, indicating that it is also a toy with no agency of its own. It is described as a "bare soul" that is only able to provide warmth and comfort when someone rubs it.
The song takes a darker turn in the final stanza, with the introduction of the character "animal soap." This creature is described as being "free on a tightrope," suggesting that it is living a perilous life. The lyrics also mention that it has been "tested" and is a "body molester," which could suggest that it is being used for unethical purposes. The singer of the song seems to be asking the listener whether they would like to know what the silence meant and whether they would like to see the violence that these eyes can send. The repetition of the phrase "From the nursery to your heart" at the end of the song could suggest that these manufactured objects are influencing and shaping our emotions and desires.
Line by Line Meaning
So truly jolly, an X-mas dolly
I may seem very happy and cheerful on the surface, like a toy that someone might buy for Christmas.
I talk on request, I'm never depressed
I can chat with you whenever you want and I never feel sad or down.
I'll wink a good time till someone pokes me
I'm always ready to have fun, but I need someone else to initiate it first.
One big blue eye out
I only have one big blue eye, which is my defining feature.
So simply heady, a birthday teddy
Just like a teddy bear given as a birthday gift, I have a simple and lovable nature.
Punches make me bleat, this bare soul is sweet
I'm fragile and easily affected by violence, but my core personality is gentle and kind.
Keeping you warm at night till someone rubs me
I can provide comfort and warmth, but I need someone else to initiate physical contact.
Hey, a fun-filled toy
Overall, I am meant to be enjoyed and bring joy to others.
Free on a tightrope lives the animal soap
Life is like a balancing act where we have to maintain our stability and avoid falling.
Safe, used, been tested, body molester
Even though I have been safely tested and used, I am still a symbol of objectification and body exploitation.
Amphibious charm, scum in several baths
I might have a charming appearance, but I have been used and treated poorly in various circumstances.
Has blurred my features, so would you like to say
As a result of my experiences, my true identity has become muddled and unclear.
What that silence was meant to intend?
Were you just quiet because you didn't have anything to say, or were you deliberately holding back information?
Would you like to see
Do you want to witness the darker side of my personality?
What violence these eyes can send, send, send, send, send
I may seem harmless, but I am capable of expressing a fierce and threatening gaze.
To your heart
I want to confront you with this intensity and aggression in order to challenge your preconceptions of me and make a deep emotional connection.
From the nursery?
Is this behavior surprising to you, considering my origins as a child's toy?
To your heart
My ultimate goal is to reach your heart and create a meaningful bond with you.
From the nursery
Despite being a toy from a child's bedroom, I have undergone difficult experiences and developed complex emotions.
To your heart
The central motif of this song is the desire for emotional connection, which I hope to achieve by confronting you with my darker side and complex emotions.
From the nursery
Despite these darker and more complex elements, I am still fundamentally a toy from a child's nursery.
To your heart
Ultimately, my ultimate goal is to make a deep emotional connection with you, using my origins as a toy from a nursery as a starting point for further exploration.
From the nursery
I am both a product of my original context and a creature of much greater complexity, capable of reaching across time and distance to forge a deep and lasting bond.
To your h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h
This stammering repetition of 'heart' underscores the song's central focus on the search for emotional connection and the artist's willingness to go to great lengths to achieve it.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GRAHAM LEWIS, COLIN NEWMAN
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