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.
Map Ref. 41°N 93°W
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An unrulable expanse of geography
An aerial photographer over-exposed
To the cartologist's 2D images knows
The areas where the water flowed
So petrified, the landscape grows
Straining eyes try to understand
The works, incessantly in hand
The quarter square, the graph divides
Beneath the rule, a country hides
Interrupting my train of thought
Lines of longitude and latitude
Define and refine my altitude
The curtain's undrawn
Harness fitted, no escape
Common and peaceful, duck, flat, lowland
Landscape, canal, canard, water coloured
Crystal palaces for floral kings
A widespread waving span of wings
Witness the sinking of the sun
A deep breath of submission has begun
The song "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" by Wire explores the relationship between maps, landscape, and the human need to understand the world around us. The lyrics describe the conflict between the natural world, which is vast and difficult to comprehend, and the attempts of cartographers, geographers, and photographers to capture it in two-dimensional maps. The song starts by describing an unseen ruler defining the landscape using geometry, suggesting the idea that human beings have a need to control and understand the natural world.
The lyrics then describe the struggle to understand the landscape, with "straining eyes" trying to comprehend the works "incessantly in hand" that are "carving and paring of the land." The song contemplates the idea of the country being hidden beneath the graph divides and the quarter squares. The second verse of the song talks about lines of longitude and latitude interrupting the train of thought, defining and refining altitude. The song ends with images of nature, with references to the floral kings, the sinking of the sun, and a deep breath of submission suggesting human beings ultimately trying to come to terms with the overpowering force of nature.
Line by Line Meaning
An unseen ruler defines with geometry
There is an invisible force that uses mathematical principles to govern the world.
An unrulable expanse of geography
The geography of the world is vast and impossible to control.
An aerial photographer over-exposed
A photographer taking pictures from above has captured too much light in the image.
To the cartologist's 2D images knows
The aerial photographer understands the topographic images created by map makers.
The areas where the water flowed
The photographer can see where the water has flowed over the land.
So petrified, the landscape grows
The landscape is frozen in time and does not change over a long period of time.
Straining eyes try to understand
People try hard to understand the images and information on maps.
The works, incessantly in hand
Map makers are always working to create new maps and update old ones.
The carving and paring of the land
The topography of the land is created by natural forces and intentional changes made by humans.
The quarter square, the graph divides
Maps use a grid system to divide areas into smaller parts and make them easier to understand.
Beneath the rule, a country hides
Maps contain information about countries and their borders.
Interrupting my train of thought
Something unexpected has disrupted the artist's thinking process.
Lines of longitude and latitude
The grid system used to create maps uses lines of longitude and latitude to determine location.
Define and refine my altitude
Lines of longitude and latitude help to determine the height of objects and features on a map.
The curtain's undrawn
Something that was previously hidden has been revealed.
Harness fitted, no escape
Someone or something is trapped or restrained and cannot escape.
Common and peaceful, duck, flat, lowland
The landscape is calm and unremarkable, with features such as ponds and flat land.
Landscape, canal, canard, water coloured
The landscape includes features such as canals and ponds that are colored blue on maps.
Crystal palaces for floral kings
The landscape includes beautiful and ornate gardens.
A widespread waving span of wings
Birds fly across the sky in a large, sweeping motion.
Witness the sinking of the sun
Watch as the sun sets below the horizon.
A deep breath of submission has begun
The artist is experiencing a moment of profound awe and reverence for the natural world.
Contributed by Kayla G. 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