Tynan's Anger

SONGS OF THE DECADE #93

[For more info, read the Ground Rules of The Song of The Decade List]

Wire - One of Us (2008)
A "London Calling" for the only original punk band to survive with its dignity (and one of the few that simply survived), "One of Us" is one of the better songs ever written about what happens when angry young punk grows into middle-aged punk, from the only band that had earned the right to express it. Wire was able to endure because the band relied more on its brains than brawn. This gave the band an advantage in a cultural movement that in the late 70s was still reliant on the ”fuck you” element. Wire emerged as more than just a punk band at a remarkably early stage. Yet, "One of Us" is the product of the same "fuck you" spirit of '77. No matter how matured and tamed, Wire has never fully allwed that spirit to go away.

The music mixes uplifting guitar and synth melodies into a rather astounding pop song, but its frank chorus prevents any catharsis. At this point in the band's career, Wire doesn't want watch the world burn, but they don't pretend that it's fireproof either. Instead, the band's found a middle ground. 30 years on, the middle has proven remarkably fertile.

Labels: 2000s, lists, one of us, songs of the decade, wire