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.
Three Girl Rhumba
Wire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Divide it by two
Something is nothing
Nothing is nothing
Open a box
Tear off the lid
Then think of a number
Don't think of an answer
Open your eyes
Think of a number
Don't get swept under
A number's a number
A chance encounter you want to avoid
The inevitable
So you do, oh yes you do
The impossible
Now you ain't got a number
You just want to rhumba
And there ain't no way you're gonna go under
Go under, go under
Go under, go under
You tear me assunder
Go under, go under
Go under, yeah
The lyrics of Wire's song "Three Girl Rhumba" are characterized by a series of cryptic and disjointed images that create a sense of disorientation and confusion. At the heart of the song is the idea of numbers and how they are used as a way of understanding the world around us. The repeated phrase "Think of a number" suggests that we are constantly trying to quantify and measure everything in our lives, but that this ultimately leads to a sense of emptiness and futility. This is underscored by the lines "Something is nothing / Nothing is nothing," which suggest that all of our attempts to understand the universe ultimately lead to a void.
The song also touches on the idea of chance encounters and how they can often shape our lives in unforeseen ways. The lines "A chance encounter you want to avoid / The inevitable / So you do, oh yes you do / The impossible" suggest that we often try to avoid certain people or situations but that these encounters are ultimately unavoidable. The final lines of the song then suggest a sense of liberation and release from the constraints of numbers and logic, as the singer declares that they no longer have a number and just want to dance.
Line by Line Meaning
Think of a number
Let's begin with a simple thought experiment by imagining a random number.
Divide it by two
We are dividing the number in half, just for the sake of this thought experiment.
Something is nothing
What might seem to be a meaningful number actually has no significance in this context.
Nothing is nothing
In the absence of any number/meaning, we are left with a blank/empty slate.
Open a box
Imagine opening a box that contains a mystery for us to solve.
Tear off the lid
Remove the cover to reveal the contents of the box.
Then think of a number
Now that we are ready to delve into the mystery, let's revisit our initial concept of choosing a random number.
Don't think of an answer
Avoid limiting your train of thought just to generate an answer based on preconceived notions or bias. Keep an open mind.
Open your eyes
Be receptive to what's going on around you.
Think of a number
The second occurrence may hint at a more significant implication of numbers in our lives - they can sometimes dictate or direct our way of thinking.
Don't get swept under
Don't let any particular number or idea control or overwhelm you.
A number's a number
One can attribute meaning and significance to numbers, but they are just abstract concepts in the end - they shouldn't hold too much power over us.
A chance encounter you want to avoid
Sometimes, we may come across things or people that we want to avoid or ignore altogether.
The inevitable
This thing or person could be something that is unavoidably approaching us (like death or old age).
So you do, oh yes you do
We all have our ways to handle or cope with such difficult situations.
The impossible
Perhaps this avoidance or denial mechanism is a form of self-protection, a way to make the impossible seem possible.
Now you ain't got a number
In trying to avoid something inevitable or difficult, all our previous calculations and plans are now useless or irrelevant.
You just want to rhumba
Instead of facing our problems, we might find solace in meaningless distractions like dancing or other forms of entertainment.
And there ain't no way you're gonna go under
These distractions may provide temporary relief, but in the end, we will still have to face our problems.
Go under, go under
We may feel like we are drowning in our troubles, and it may seem like there's no way out.
You tear me assunder
The repetition of the phrase hints at a sense of anxiety, fear or desperation - an indication that we need to face our problems head-on rather than get swayed by diversions.
Go under, go under
The repetition of the phrase signifies the same sense of impending doom or fear of failure - a nudge to not give up and persist in our struggle.
Go under, yeah
The finale of the song is an indication that one can keep moving forward no matter how difficult the situation may seem - we should not let the fear of the future or the consequences of our choices hold us back.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRUCE GILBERT, COLIN NEWMAN, GRAHAM LEWIS, ROBERT GOTOBED
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