Under My Wheels by Alice Cooper

Album: Killer (1971)

Charted: 66 59

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This track is an example of Cooper's classic twisted humor: it's about a hen-pecked man who fantasizes about running over his nagging girlfriend with his car.
This rocker was the first single released from Killer, which was the band's fourth studio album. Like all of their early albums, it was produced by Bob Ezrin, who continued to work with Cooper after the band morphed into the lead singer's solo act. Ezrin's other clients include Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Kiss, Deftones and Pink Floyd.
This track was written by the group's guitarist Michael Bruce and bass player Dennis Dunaway along with producer Bob Ezrin. Bruce and Dunaway also co-wrote "School's Out" and "I'm Eighteen."
Rick Derringer played the guitar solo on this song. Among Derringer's other accomplishments: guitar work on the Steely Dan album Katy Lied, and replicating Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo on Weird Al Yankovic's "Eat It."
In 1988, Cooper recorded the song as a duet with Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose for the Rock documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. The film opened after Cooper released his album Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987). Guns N' Roses - at the front of a steep curve to stardom - were the opening act for Cooper's tour in support of the album.

Comments: 5

Bob from DetroitUnder My Wheels was a phrase that we used in the early 1960s when we were car racing. Like “leaving you in the dust” or “eat my dust”, if you were far back in a car race, then you were “under my wheels”. He drives right up to her at a red light, he sees that she didn’t realize it, then he hits the gas. She then is speeding after him and has him on the run, and won’t let him be.
Jack from Mesa, AzThis song is about cheating on your old lady, getting harrassed by your secret girlfriend, gleefully anticipating killing said gf, then running over her? Alice!
Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaCooper was an original! Marilyn Manson was a pathetic attempt to clone him. . . (David Bowie went at it, too, but more half-assed)

I have several vinyl Alice Cooper originals -- love them -- can't get them on CDs or MP3s! (until I convert them all)
Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaDidn't Def Leppard do a cover, too?
Mark from Lewistown, PaActually, one of AC's better numbers. A straight ahead rocker with a great horn section!

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Love the Way You LieEminem

In 2010, the biggest-selling song in the UK was "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem.

Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" includes both gibberish ("Roma Roma-ma") and French ("Je veux ton amour et je veux ta revanche") in the lyrics. The French part translates to: "I want your love and I want your revenge."

Slow HandThe Pointer Sisters

"Slow Hand" was a #1 Country hit for Conway Twitty in 1982, a year after The Pointer Sisters recorded it.

My Name IsEminem

Eminem sampled a song by Labi Siffre on "My Name Is." Siffre, a gay activist, made Em take out some gay humor in the lyric before allowing it.

S&MRihanna

Rihanna claims that "S&M" is about her love/hate relationship with the media. Apparently her paparazzi are using whips and chains.

White as SnowU2

Bono came up with the idea of focusing on a soldier's last thoughts as he dies from his wounds in the U2 song "White As Snow" after reading William Golding's 1956 novel Pincher Martin.