This Wheel's On Fire

Album: Music From Big Pink (1968)
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  • If your memory serves you well, we're going to meet again and wait
    So I'm going to unpack all my things and sit before it gets too late
    No matter what, we'll come to you with another tale to tell
    And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

    [Chorus]
    Wheel's on fire
    Rolling down the road
    Just notify my next of kin
    The wheel shall explode

    If your memory serves you well, I was going to confiscate your face
    And wrap it up in a sailor's knot and hide it in your case
    If I knew for sure that it was gone, and it was oh so hard to tell
    And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

    [Chorus]

    If your memory serves you well, you'll remember that you're the one
    Who called on them to call on me to get you your favors done
    And after every plan had failed and there was nothing more to tell
    And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well

    [Chorus] Writer/s: Bob Dylan, Richard Danko
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 8

  • Jr from Toronto, OnOut of the many cover versions of this song, I've always found it surprising that the Siouxsie and the Banshees cover doesn't get more attention and respect. The arrangement does a fantastic job at highlighting the melody and lyrics, giving the song a real sense of propulsion, further elevated by an excellent guitar hook and brilliantly orchestrated sweeping strings. The one downside to the originally released version of Siouxsie's cover, which appeared on their excellent 1987 covers album, Through The Looking Glass (which also featured their equally inspired interpretation of Iggy Pop's The Passenger), is that the fantastic orchestral outro that brings the song to an epic climax was lopped off by an early fade-out. Although a 12" extended version that came out at the time of the single's release featured elements of the outro, the complete original version of track with the full outro restored didn't emerge until 2002 when it was included on The Best Of Siouxsie and the Banshees compilation. For me, it is the definitive version of their excellent cover and is well worth checking out for anyone who haven't heard it in its unedited form: https://youtu.be/rgNhcMjthoc
  • Monkeemadness from Lawrence Usa"If you find me in a gloom or catch me in a dream..."etc.:
    The above lyrics posted are not to "Wheels On Fire"; I believe these go with the song "Whispering Pines" from The Band's second album.
  • Matthew from Toronto, OnI preferred the version by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity. Fantastic arrangement & performance!
  • Andy from Omaha, NeThe Byrds also do a pretty good cover on their Fillmore West '69 CD. Clarence White's guitar is a standout of this version.
  • Guy from Wellington, New ZealandYeah, the Ab Fab version is the Driscoll, Auger & Trinity version -- way cool. Julie Driscoll is probably better known nowadays as a cultural commentator. She recently wrote a pretty embarrassing book on David Beckham -- rather destroyed her rep for being a gal who takes no sh*t and hates hypocrites!
  • Eb from Orlando Metro, FlOne of the other artist?s versions of this song was also used in the theme to the 90?s (?) BBC comedy Absolutely Fabulous.
  • Tim from Tacoma, WaI think the most popular version was by:
    Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and
    The Trinity
  • Crem8r from Oly, WaThis song was covered by Siouxsie & the Banshees
see more comments

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