Songfacts®:

• In an interview published in the November 1981 issue of Kerrang!, lead vocalist Biff Byford (while explaining another song) said: "Yes, the quest to go the fastest is an obsession for us. Good music should thrill you, as much as a ride on the back of a bike and our stuff is pretty good for doing that, take 'Wheels Of Steel' for an example."
  
  He added that one day he'd like to take up motorbike racing and break the land speed record, but their manager wouldn't let him because it would be too dangerous.
• "Wheels Of Steel" is a theme that goes back to the 1969 film Easy Rider and the classic "Born To Be Wild," and before that to the autobiographical Jack Kerouac novel On The Road, which although written around a different theme is one that strikes a chord with many Rock musicians and fans, and the whole denim and leather crowd.
• The title track of Saxon's second album, this is a group composition, and runs to 5 minutes 58 seconds. It was also released as a single backed by "Stand Up And Be Counted". >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Alexander Baron - London, England, for above 3
• Saxon was making their mark in the hard rock realm around the time of AC/DC's ascendence, and you can feel a bit of their current on this track. In our interview with Biff Byford, he said: "I was heavily into AC/DC's first album, and a few of their bootleg things that we found. I turned the band on to AC/DC. And I think although that track doesn't sound like AC/DC, it's a bit more rugged, I suppose. 'Wheels of Steel' has definitely got an AC/DC influence in that."
• This was the first of fifteen entries for Saxon in the UK singles chart.