The Fall's song was originally released as an A side on 7-inch on Rough Trade Records in 1980 (Sleeve notes reads: 'Forthcoming none-selections from next L.P. 'After The Gramme'), and can be found on the 1993 Castle Communications re-issue of Grotesque (After The Gramme). The song is also on a cassette; Rough Trade Records: 1978-1981 which accompanied the third Art Rocker magazine

The song also appears on the live album; A Part Of America Therein, 1981. For my money, this is the best example of a live track completely blowing away a recorded one. The guitars are twitchy and spasmodic, Mark E. Smith's vocals are on edge and he really does sound wired. There are a couple of differences between the live and recorded versions, most notably the drawn out opening section where drummer Paul Hanley drops his stick. A few lyric changes are also present in the live version; the line (1) becomes; "You don't have to be a dyed hair punk fuck shit pop fucked up tic-toc pervert" When Mark spies some faux-punks in the audience and (2) becomes "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" - A well known Hunter S. Thompson quote.

I once sung this song at 'New Wave Karaoke', a very enjoyable and hopefully repeated event at the Empress, a pub in Melbourne. I had someone come up to me eight months after the event and tell me that "I really enjoyed your song at the karaoke at the Empress", to which I asked "Are you a fan of the Fall?" "No, but I enjoyed what you did." I was absolutely chuffed.

In Art Rocker, John Peel says about this track; I never know what to say about The Fall. People always assume Mark and I are great mates because I've been playing their stuff for so long, but I've only met him a few times and I never know what to say to him because he's quite an alarming bloke, so we end up punching each other in a manly way and going our seperate directions. They've obviously provided the soundtrack for this house, or at least 22 years or so, not just myself, but our William and Flossie as well. The more you love things and the more important they become to you, the harder it is to explain why. I was eventually persuaded to write something about them from a performance in the Netherlands; how are you going to make "this is great" into 1000 words? I don't know why I like them; if they did something terrible I wouldn't know. I went to a Fall gig at Cambridge Junction when I was so glad there was a lot of people between him and us. Myself, Sheila and William were pressed against the back wall because there was such an air of malevolence and hatred and hostillity. You talk to other Fall fanatics afterwards and they say "wasn't that a great gig."
I feel entirely uncritical I'm afraid


In an interview, when asked what 'Totally Wired' was about; MES replied: Tension. That was our trash record. I'm really into disposable records. And this is probably their most popular song!

TOTALLY WIRED


I'm Totally Wired.
Totally Wired. ((Totally Wired))
I'm Totally Wired. ((Can't y'see?))
Totally Wired.

Can't you see?
A butterfly stomach round ground.
I dranka jar of coffee,
and I took some of these.

And I'm Totally Wired.
Totally Wired. ((Totally Wired))
I'm Totally Wired. ((Can't y'see?))
Totally Wired.

Life leaves you surprised.
Slaps you in the eyes.
If I were a communist,
a rich man would bale me.
The opposite applies.
The morning light.
Another fresh fight.
Another row, right, right, right, right.

And I'm Totally Wired.
J-J-Just Totally Wired. ((Totally Wired))
I'm Totally Biased. ((Can't y'see?))
Totally Wired.

You don't have to be weird to be wired.
You don't have to be an American brand.(1)
You don't have to be strange to be strangled.
You don't have to be weird to be wrangled.(2)

But I'm Totally Wired.
Totally Wired. ((Totally Wired))
J-J-Just Totally Wired. ((Can't y'see?)) I'm Totally Wired.

My Heart and I agree.
My Heart and I agree.
I'm Irate, Peeved, Irate, Peeved,
Irate, Bad State. Bad State.

Cos I'm Totally Wired.
Totally Wired. ((Totally Wired))
J-J-Just Totally Wired. ((Can't y'see?)) Totally Wired.

And I'm always worried.
And I'm always worried.
And I'm always worried.
And I'm always worried.


Cheers to Fall Lyrics Parade," by Jonathan Kandell & Jeff Curtis, still the best place for Fall lyrics
'Totally Wired' is also the name of a series of completely unrelated acid-jazz compilations.

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