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.
It's a Boy
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spit-gas sinking
Tired reflections
In a broken eye
You're a strange one
Are there any more like you?
You're a rare one
Head collectors
Private view
Flood damaged
In a baby plague
Effete means funny dreams
Offense on refusal
Look out Dr. Up
It's a boy as usual
The lyrics of Wire's song "It's a Boy" are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The first verse seems to describe a chaotic and unstable environment, where fear and desperation rule, symbolized by "hook fear lashing" and "spit-gas sinking." The singer is tired and hopeless, represented by "tired reflections in a broken eye." The second verse introduces the idea of being different and rare, asking if there are any more like the strange speaker. However, the following lines ("head collectors/private view/flood damaged/in a baby plague") further complicate the picture, suggesting that the singer might be part of a group or category of oddities, marked by flood damage and trapped in a baby plague.
The chorus - "Effete means funny dreams/offense on refusal/look out Dr. Up/it's a boy as usual" - is cryptic and surreal, with a play of words and associations that defy easy interpretation. "Effete" means weak, worn-out, or effeminate, and "funny dreams" might evoke a sense of unreality or escapism. "Offense on refusal" might suggest a struggle for independence or a resistance to conformity, while "Dr. Up" is unclear, possibly a reference to a pharmaceutical or psychiatric authority figure. The final line, "it's a boy as usual," might echo traditional birth announcements, and suggest a cycle of repetition or predictability. However, the juxtaposition of these lines creates a sense of dissonance and fragmentation, leaving the meaning open-ended.
Line by Line Meaning
Hook fear lashing
The overwhelming feeling of fear being repeatedly hitting and tormenting the mind.
Spit-gas sinking
Something being forcefully pushed and buried deep down causing feelings of suffocation.
Tired reflections
Looking back at past experiences with a sense of exhaustion and weariness.
In a broken eye
Observing the world with damaged vision or perception.
You're a strange one
An acknowledgement of someone different or peculiar.
Are there any more like you?
Asking whether there are others who share similar unique characteristics or qualities.
You're a rare one
Recognizing the rarity and distinctiveness of someone's qualities or attributes.
I want one too
Expressing a desire to possess similar features or traits as the person being referred to.
Head collectors
People who obtain objects or items (such as art) for their personal collections.
Private view
A showing of art or objects for a select group of people.
Flood damaged
Devastating effects of a flood on objects or property.
In a baby plague
An overabundance of babies being born or a widespread occurrence of a specific type of illness affecting infants.
Effete means funny dreams
A message that nonsense and absurdity result from being weak and ineffective.
Offense on refusal
A hostile reaction to being declined or rejected.
Look out Dr. Up
Warning someone to be cautious or take action.
It's a boy as usual
A new male life has begun, which is nothing out of the ordinary.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: PETE TOWNSHEND
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