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 well-known waving span of wings
Witness the sinking of the sun
A deep breath of submission has begun
Interrupting my train of thought
Lines of longitude and latitude
Define and refine my altitude
The lyrics of Wire's song "Map Ref. 41° N 93° W" explore the interplay between human perception, mapping, and the natural world. The unseen ruler and unrulable expanse signify the tension between the precise measurements and definitions imposed by geometry and the vastness and unpredictability of the natural geography. The aerial photographer, who is over-exposed to the two-dimensional images created by cartographers, grasps the areas where water once flowed, contributing to the petrified landscape. The straining eyes depict the human struggle to comprehend and appreciate the constant work of carving and paring the land, while beneath the rule, an entire country remains hidden.
The lines "Interrupting my train of thought, lines of longitude and latitude, define and refine my altitude" further explore the impact of mapping on human perception. The reference to longitude and latitude suggests that these lines define not only physical location but also mental and emotional states. The act of mapping serves to interrupt one's train of thought, bringing order and structure to their understanding of the world, refining their altitude or perspective.
Overall, "Map Ref. 41° N 93° W" is a thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between human perception, mapping, and the interplay of natural and man-made landscapes.
Line by Line Meaning
An unseen ruler defines with geometry
A ruler that cannot be seen creates the boundaries and shapes using mathematical principles
An unrulable expanse of geography
A vast and uncontrollable stretch of land and its features
An aerial photographer over-exposed
A photographer capturing images from above, but with too much light
To the cartologist's 2D images knows
Understanding the 2-dimensional images created by a mapmaker
The areas where the water flowed
Identifying the places where water once passed through
So petrified, the landscape grows
The land slowly transforms and hardens over time
Straining eyes try to understand
Eyes making an effort to comprehend
The works, incessantly in hand
The ongoing actions and tasks at hand
The carving and the paring of the land
Shaping and refining the land's contours
The quarter square, the graph divides
Dividing and mapping the land into small sections using geometric measurements
Beneath the rule, a country hides
A nation's existence concealed beneath the measurements and boundaries
Interrupting my train of thought
Disturbing and breaking the flow of my thinking process
Lines of longitude and latitude
Lines representing the vertical and horizontal coordinates on a map
Define and refine my altitude
Determining and adjusting my height or position above sea level
The curtain's undrawn
The curtain has not been opened or revealed
Harness fitted, no escape
Being trapped or confined, unable to break free
Common and peaceful, duck, flat, lowland
Describing a calm and ordinary landscape, like wetlands and plains
Landscape, canal, canard, water coloured
Depicting a scenery filled with waterways, deception, and a palette of colors
Crystal palaces for floral kings
Beautiful structures for majestic rulers of the floral world
A well-known waving span of wings
The recognizable movement of wings in flight
Witness the sinking of the sun
Observing the sun descending below the horizon
A deep breath of submission has begun
Inhaling deeply as a sign of surrender or acceptance
Writer(s): Bruce Gilbert
Contributed by Adrian I. 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