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.
Public Place
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pigeons move busily
Through the contents
Of a man's life
In this public place
His last mortal remains
Reflect a private lake
In this public place
Candid fiction spreads its wings
It's deceptive at this angle
Does truth dance?
Does truth sing?
The private hedge pissers
In anxious alleys
The village boy-wide-men
With a game on their hands
Wait for the sign
That will take them to Heaven
Wait for the sign
Only they understand
In this public place
A carved tree
Burst through an atheist's heart
And broken promises
Drifted into the shape of footprints
In this public place
Lies fly in-formation
Candid fiction spreads its wings
The lyrics of Wire's song "Public Place" feature vivid and intricate imagery that sets the scene of a busy, urban space where the remains of a man's life are on display. Pigeons move busily through the contents of the man's life, and his mortal remains reflect a private lake. Lies fly in formation, and candid fiction spreads its wings, creating a deceptive atmosphere where truth may or may not dance or sing.
The song continues to describe various characters in the public place, including the "private hedge pissers" in anxious alleys and the "village boy-wide-men" with a game on their hands, waiting for a sign that only they understand. Throughout it all, there are powerful and striking images, such as a carved tree bursting through an atheist's heart and broken promises drifting into the shape of footprints.
Overall, the lyrics of "Public Place" seem to be commenting on the way in which public spaces can be simultaneously deceptive and revealing, providing glimpses into the private lives and truths of those who inhabit them.
Line by Line Meaning
In this public place
The following events happen in a public space
Pigeons move busily
Pigeons are active and quickly moving through the space
Through the contents
The pigeons are sifting through the things that are in the space
Of a man's life
The things being moved around are the belongings of a deceased man
His last mortal remains
The belongings left behind are the only things left of this man's life
Reflect a private lake
The items relate to a man's personal life and experiences
Lies fly in formation
People are telling lies in a coordinated way
Candid fiction spreads its wings
People are telling stories that may not be entirely true and are spreading these stories around
It's deceptive at this angle
The stories being told may not be totally accurate and may mislead the listener
Does truth dance?
Is there any truth to be found in what is being said, or is it all lies?
Does truth sing?
Is there any truth to be found in what is being expressed, or is it all deception?
The private hedge pissers
People who urinate in alleyways where they are not seen
In anxious alleys
The area is characterized by tense and stressful streets
The village boy-wide-men
Young men who are trying to assert themselves in their community
With a game on their hands
These young men are up to something - likely something they should not be doing
Wait for the sign
These young men are waiting for a cue, signal or invitation to do something
That will take them to Heaven
This action they are waiting for will result in excitement or satisfaction for them
Only they understand
Whatever the action they are waiting for, they believe they are the only ones who know what it is or how to do it right
A carved tree
A tree that has been ornately decorated or cut into a particular shape
Burst through an atheist's heart
The tree has penetrated a person who does not believe in God, maybe as a metaphor for something breaking through their disbelief
And broken promises
Something went wrong, leaving someone with unfulfilled promises
Drifted into the shape of footprints
The broken promises have taken on the form of footsteps, as if the promise-breaker walked away from what they guaranteed
Lies fly in-formation
Once again, people are telling lies that are coordinated in nature
Candid fiction spreads its wings
Once again, stories that may not be completely true are being moved about
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tinfoilhatter
aw wow,i just love this band-and this album-actually i bought the cassette tape in some mall in 1990...man,all the '90's were righteous...we always had a pissin' good time,didn't need no computers-what the heck-how the heck did we exist in such....a primitive state...well! we shoulda played them drums more,and more of them drums! wire rules !
Ulrich Behnke
Wonderful dark song