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.
Once Is Enough
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can only help to jeopardize
The lives of lambs, the shepherd cries
An afterlife for a silverfish
Eternal dust less ticklish
Than the clean room
A houseguest's wish
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it's the earth which he's known since birth
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it's the earth which he's known since birth
Face worker, a serpentine miner
A roof falls, an underliner
Of leaf structure, the egg timer
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it's the earth which he's known since birth
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it's the earth which he's known since birth
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it's the earth which he's known since birth
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it's the earth which he's known since birth
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
In fact it's the earth which he's known since birth
The lyrics of Wire's song "Once Is Enough" appear to be enigmatic and difficult to interpret at first glance. However, a closer look suggests that the song is a commentary on the cyclical nature of life and the cyclical behaviors of humans. The singer speaks about a leopard with no blind spots in its eyes and how this lack of vulnerability can only pose danger to lambs. This line suggests that the strong and powerful often endanger the weak and vulnerable. The shepherd's cries highlight the injustice of such behavior, which directly leads to the loss of innocent lives.
The lyrics segue into an "afterlife for a silverfish," which may refer to the tiny, quicksilver bugs that resemble fish that populate many households. The afterlife for silverfish may be eternal dust or decay in the clean room of a sterile, controlled environment. A houseguest's wish could mean that our efforts to keep our homes and environments spotless are often short-lived and futile, as everything decays over time.
The next stanza talks about a "face worker, a serpentine miner" who functions as an underliner in the structural context of leaves. Again, the idea of cyclical behavior is reinforced: fallen objects eventually become infrastructure for the next generation of objects. The egg timer symbolizes the finite time that everything has before it expires, while the roof falling perhaps suggests inevitable calamity.
Overall, it's a song about ups and downs, the cyclical nature of life, the inevitability of decay, and the fleeting nature of existence. The repeated line "he lies on his side, is he trying to hide?/in fact it's the earth which he's known since birth" could suggest a return to the earth once our brief time in this world is over.
Line by Line Meaning
No blind spots in the leopard's eyes
The leopard can see everything clearly, which means its prey cannot escape its sight.
Can only help to jeopardize
This will lead to danger or harm caused by the leopard's ability to see very well without any weaknesses.
The lives of lambs, the shepherd cries
The shepherd is concerned about the safety of the lambs as they are defenseless against the leopard's strong vision.
An afterlife for a silverfish
Silverfish do not live for very long and will eventually die.
Eternal dust less ticklish
The silverfish's remains are not very significant, and it seems to disappear without a trace.
Than the clean room
The clean room is a sterile and lifeless environment that represents the opposite of the natural world.
A houseguest's wish
The silverfish is not wanted as a house guest, which is why its death is not mourned.
He lies on his side, is he trying to hide?
The subject is in a vulnerable position, and it is unclear if they are trying to conceal themselves.
In fact it's the earth which he's known since birth
The subject is physically one with the earth, as they were born from it and will return to it when they die.
Face worker, a serpentine miner
The subject is a hard worker, who is skilled at adapting to difficult and dangerous working conditions.
A roof falls, an underliner
The subject is in a hazardous working environment, where the risk of danger is high and accidents can happen easily.
Of leaf structure, the egg timer
The subject is aware of the cycle of growth and decay in nature, where death and rebirth are natural parts of life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN JOHN 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