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.
One of Us
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I misjudged your intentions
Misread behaviour
That beggars many questions
What happened to our plan,
The one that we began?
Are you an also-ran?
Finished? Inconsequential?
Declining, and divining
One of us will live to rue the day we met each other
One of us will live to rue the day we met each other
Breaching, over-reaching
One of us will live to rue the day we met each other
One of us will live to rue the day we met each other
It's a no-brainer
It's time to test the mettle
Reasoned? Insaner?
Infected scores to settle
No safety-netted plan
We're here, we will, we can
Finish what we began!
Never, ever damned for trying...
In Wire's song One of Us, the artist is expressing a sense of regret and confusion about a relationship that has gone wrong. The lyrics speak of misjudging someone's intentions and misreading their behavior, which has led to many questions and doubt about the other person's true motives. The artist wonders what happened to their plan, the one they began together, and whether the other person is still on board or has become irrelevant. They express a sense of declining and divining, indicating that both individuals may be struggling to come to terms with the situation and the direction in which their lives are heading.
The chorus of the song speaks of one of the individuals living to rue the day they met each other, highlighting the tension and bitterness that has developed between the two people. They describe the situation as breaching and over-reaching, indicating that the relationship has gone beyond its limits and is now causing pain and frustration. However, the artist is determined to test the mettle of the situation, expressing a need to finish what they began, even if it means taking risks and facing uncertainty. The lyrics end on a positive note, indicating that they will never be damned for trying, suggesting that the artist believes that even if the relationship fails, they will have learned something from the experience and will come out stronger as a result.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I make it plainer?
Can I simplify my message further?
I misjudged your intentions
I misunderstood your motives
Misread behaviour
Misinterpreted actions
That beggars many questions
That leaves many unanswered questions
What happened to our plan,
What went wrong with our strategy,
The one that we began?
The one we initiated?
Are you an also-ran?
Are you an insignificant participant
Finished? Inconsequential?
Do you believe you're finished or unimportant
Declining, and divining
Fading and guessing
One of us will live to rue the day we met each other
One of us will regret meeting the other person
Breaching, over-reaching
Breaking boundaries, being too ambitious
It's a no-brainer
It's an obvious conclusion
It's time to test the mettle
It's time to challenge ourselves
Reasoned? Insaner?
Are we being logical or irrational?
Infected scores to settle
Desire for revenge
No safety-netted plan
No backup plan
We're here, we will, we can
We are present, we are determined, we have the capability
Finish what we began!
Complete what we started
Never, ever damned for trying...
We will never be condemned for attempting something
Contributed by Nathaniel W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@anomalek
Apparently these old boys will continue to be riveting and relevant until the earth stops spinning. cant get enough of them since like 1979
@MD-ru5vs
same with me, specially the 154 album that is amazing.
@xyaqua
47 freaking albums. and most of them totally different thant the previous. these guys are GODS. So bloody melodic, so original. Wire is truly awesome
@dralfredcarroll9567
I agree whole-heartedly apart from the part about 47 albums. They're not even close to that even 10 years after you posted that comment.
@rutlefan6476
@@dralfredcarroll9567 This made 47 "objects" released. Not albums, true.
@pacific707
They're incredibly good and always surprising. I hope they never stop making music.
@wozefa
this song is a permanent part of my DJ set and always get a good response.
@dorontsur
One of my favorite albums. Full of energy and uplifting in spirit. Thank you Colin!
@tdifatta
These guys are so amazing! I saw them at the Depeche Mode 101 concert with OMD and Thomas Dolby at the Rose Bowl. One incredible show.
@descallyjr1
OMFG I only recent got this album but this track is now my favorite Wire song ever! Like others have stated here each of their albums are different. They are true artists creating art; not just pop bullshit. I got into Wire about 25 years ago based on Michael Stype of REM saying they were his favorite band. I'm on board with that one!