Wire by U2 - Songfacts

Album: The Unforgettable Fire (1984)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

"Wire" is about the dangers of heroin use. U2 stayed mostly drug-free, but they had many friends who became addicted, including Phil Lynott from Thin Lizzy, who died from heroin abuse in 1986. U2 bass player Adam Clayton was arrested in Ireland for marijuana possession in 1989, but the conviction was waived in lieu of a donation to charity.
This was one of the first U2 songs produced by Brian Eno, who had worked with David Bowie and Talking Heads. Eno went on to produce The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.
U2 would revisit the theme of heroin abuse later on the album with "Bad" and on The Joshua Tree with "Running To Stand Still."
This was the first of four U2 songs used in the TV series Miami Vice. It appeared in the season 1 finale "Lombard" in 1985.

Comments: 4

Sib from Easton, PaMy neighbor Mike (hi!) makes a good point, Album Oriented Rock stations typically play non-singles, but for some reason this didn't make the cut on a lot of stations, despite its use in MIAMI VICE.
George from Trenton, OhAnother Irish band called Them (which featured Van Morrison) wrote a song called "Gloria" as well, but the music and lyrics of that song and U2's "Gloria" are vastly different. However, U2 quoted Them's version during the song "Exit" in the "Rattle & Hum" film.
Angela from Hagerstown, Mdit's not played on the radio because it's from 1984 and not a single.
Mike from Emmaus, PaWhy isn't this song played on the radio???? It's one of U2's best songs.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Brass In PocketPretenders

Chrissie Hynde got the phrase "Brass In Pocket" from a Northern England slang term meaning you had some money, "brass" meaning coins.

TemptedSqueeze

The Squeeze song "Tempted" is one of their few with lead vocals by Paul Carrack, who sang the Ace song "How Long" and was in Mike + The Mechanics.

God Bless AmericaKate Smith

Irving Berlin said "God Bless America" was "not a patriotic song, but rather an expression of gratitude."

Radar LoveGolden Earring

At the end of "Radar Love," the driver dies in a crash but maintains a psychic bond with the woman he was racing to see. The song's lyricist was inspired by stories of extrasensory perception (ESP).