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.
The Finest Drops
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one is home, they're thin skinned sharks
Hue exchanging gives sea-leg walks
No one is home, the chemicals talk
Load up the spoiled goods
Hook up the spoiled gods
Fill up the kindness cups
Drink up the finest drops
No one is home, power attracts
Death on a raft, life in a whale
No one is home to finish the tale
Paint it red, light it in blue
No one is home over at the zoo
Lashing together, a timbre design
No one is home, no one is blind
The last boat launched, cling to the rail
No one is home, they're in full sail
Forging chains, caught on the tracks
No one is home and they're not coming back
The island monkeys love the dark
No one is home, they've gone for a walk
The island monkeys love the dark
No one is home, the chemicals talk
The lyrics of Wire's "The Finest Drops" suggest alienation and disconnection in modern society. The opening lines, "The island monkeys love the dark, No one is home, they're thin skinned sharks," paint a picture of individuals who seek darkness and obscurity, perhaps as a form of escape from the harsh light of reality. The reference to "thin-skinned sharks" could be read as a metaphor for people who are aggressive or predatory, but also vulnerable to attack.
The second half of the verse, "Hue exchanging gives sea-leg walks, No one is home, the chemicals talk," suggests that these individuals are under the influence of something, whether it be drugs or some other form of mind-altering substance. The chorus, "Load up the spoiled goods, Hook up the spoiled gods, Fill up the kindness cups, Drink up the finest drops," seems to echo this theme of escape and self-indulgence.
The rest of the lyrics portray a world of desperation and loneliness, where people are disconnected from one another and from their own humanity. There is a sense of chaos and instability, with imagery of feeding frenzies, death and life caught up in each other, and the forging of chains.
Line by Line Meaning
The island monkeys love the dark
The creatures on this secluded island prefer the absence of light
No one is home, they're thin skinned sharks
The inhabitants of the island are not present, perhaps they have dangerous tendencies
Hue exchanging gives sea-leg walks
Interchanging colorful hues causes disorientation
No one is home, the chemicals talk
The island's chemical makeup has a voice of its own, unheard by its residents
Load up the spoiled goods
Collect the expired resources
Hook up the spoiled gods
Catch onto the no longer divine beings
Fill up the kindness cups
Refill depleted good intentions
Drink up the finest drops
Consume the best of what's left
Feeding frenzy, sleepless attacks
Ravenous behavior and restlessness
No one is home, power attracts
Absence elicits a desire for power
Death on a raft, life in a whale
Tragedies and triumphs of voyages
No one is home to finish the tale
The story ends abruptly without closure
Paint it red, light it in blue
Manipulate the elements around you
No one is home over at the zoo
No one watches over the beasts
Lashing together, a timbre design
Binding entities for optimum function
No one is home, no one is blind
All are aware, yet none are available
The last boat launched, cling to the rail
Departing from a forsaken place, holding on for stability
No one is home, they're in full sail
The occupants have sailed away, beyond reach
Forging chains, caught on the tracks
Creating dependencies on a predetermined path
No one is home and they're not coming back
An absence that is permanent
The island monkeys love the dark
A reminder that the creatures thrive in isolation and thrive in the absence of light
No one is home, they've gone for a walk
A continued absence
The island monkeys love the dark
Reiteration of the creatures' preference for dark environments
No one is home, the chemicals talk
Echoing the idea that the island holds its own voice through its chemical properties
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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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