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Released in 1973

Helen Wheels

Written by Paul McCartney • Linda Eastman / McCartney

Last updated on July 6, 2024

Album This song officially appears on the Helen Wheels / Country Dreamer 7" Single.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1973

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1973, when Paul McCartney was 31 years old)

Master albums

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

From Wikipedia:

“Helen Wheels” is a song by Paul McCartney & Wings. The song was named after Paul and Linda McCartney’s Land Rover, which they nicknamed “Hell on Wheels“.

Release

The single was released prior to Band on the Run and was not included on the original UK release of the album. However, Capitol Records vice president of promotion Al Coury persuaded McCartney to include it on the American release. The song peaked at number 10 in the United States on 12 January 1974 and at number 12 in the United Kingdom charts.

In the book Paul McCartney In His Own Words published in 1976, McCartney said:

“Helen Wheels is our land rover. It’s a name we gave to our land rover, which is a trusted vehicle that gets us around Scotland. It takes us up to the Shetland Islands and down to London. The song starts off in Glasgow, and it goes past Carlisle, goes to Kendal, Liverpool, Birmingham and London. It’s the route coming down from our Scottish farm to London, so it’s really the story of the trip down. Little images along the way. Liverpool is on the West coast of England, so that is all that means.”

From AllMusic:

Man critics and pop fans wrote Paul McCartney off as a mere purveyor of sugary pop in the 1970’s due to hits like “Silly Love Songs” but a close look at his work from this era reveals he also recorded several bracing rockers. One of the best was “Helen Wheels,” a raucous 1973 single that was added to American pressings of Band On The Run. The lyrics were inspired by Paul McCartney’s land rover and pay homage to Chuck Berry’s travelling-themed rockers like “The Promised Land” as they describe a trip from Scotland to England on the M-6 motorway: “M6, south down to Liverpool/Where they play the west coast sound/Sailor Sam, he came from Birmingham/But he never will be found.” This narrative is pumped up by an exciting melody that builds from swinging, breathlessly paced verses into a shout-along chorus that underlines the phrase “Helen – hell on wheels” with go-for-broke enthusiasm. McCartney raises the excitement level even higher on his recording of “Helen Wheels” with a gutsy arrangement that marries snarling electric guitars to a shuffling, ska-styled beat. McCartney wails over the top of this driving sound with an abandon reminiscent of his early Beatles, adding the ideal final touch to make it a fun rocker. As a result, “Helen Wheels” became a top-10 hit for McCartney. It did simarly well around the world and stands alongside “Jet” and “Junior’s Farm” as one of McCartney’s finest rockers from this era.

Paul McCartney in "Conversations With McCartney", by Paul Du Noyer:

I like that because it’s a British road song and there’s not many of those around. It’s always Route 66. How many songs have got Carlisle in them? And Birmingham, not Brimingham, Alabama. The M6… Linda loved Scotland. I still love setting off in London, going up the motorway, and you see the land change. It’s like going all the way through America. We always cheer as we go over the border then around Loch Lomond. It’s got a lot of memories for me, that Land Rover with everything in the back, dogs, kids, us all up at the front, and me, driving on this epic journey.
From GQ Magazine, August 2020 – Photo from Mary McCartney : “[Helen Wheels is] the old Land Rover which we used to drive up to Scotland in when we were kids. To me, that’s part of my childhood, so I was like, ‘Let’s get that out.’ It’s from the early 1970s; those kind of cars are made to last. It’s not necessarily the most comfortable thing to drive around in – it’s quite bumpy – but I love it.”

Lyrics

Said farewell to my last hotel

It was never much kind of abode,

Glasgow town never brought me down

When I was heading out on the road,

Carlisle city never looked so pretty

And the Kendal freeway's fast.

Slow down driver, want to stay alive

I want to make this journey last

Helen - Hell on wheels

Ain't nobody else gonna know the way she feels

Helen - Hell on wheels

And they never gonna take her away.

M6 south down to Liverpool

Where they play the west coast sound

Sailor Sam he came from Birmingham

But he never will be found.

Doing fine when a London sign

Greets me like a long lost friend,

Mr Motor won't you check her out,

She's got to take me back again.

Helen - Hell on wheels

Ain't nobody else gonna know the way she feels

Helen - Hell on wheels

And they never gonna take her away.

Got no time for a rum and lime

I wanna get my right foot down

Shake some dust off of this old bus

I gotta get her out of town

Spend the day upon the motorway

Where the carburettors blast

Slow down driver, wanna stay alive,

I want to make this journey last.

Helen - Hell on wheels

Ain't nobody else gonna know the way she feels

Helen - Hell on wheels

And they never gonna take her away

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Helen Wheels”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Helen Wheels”

Related film

Live performances

“Helen Wheels” has been played in 1 concerts.

Latest concerts where “Helen Wheels” has been played

Going further

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present

"Helen Wheels" is one of the songs featured in the book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present," published in 2021. The book explores Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, his time with the Beatles, Wings, and his solo career. It pairs the lyrics of 154 of his songs with his first-person commentary on the circumstances of their creation, the inspirations behind them, and his current thoughts on them.

Buy on Amazon

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989

With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.

Buy on Amazon

Paul McCartney writing

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Notice any inaccuracies on this page? Have additional insights or ideas for new content? Or just want to share your thoughts? We value your feedback! Please use the form below to get in touch with us.

Joseph Ahern • 6 years ago

Was watching a video on YouTube and noticing that Paul is playing most of the instruments. I don't know who was playing all the interesting solos on lead guitar. Would that be Paul or Denny?

The PaulMcCartney Project • 6 years ago

Hi Joseph, thanks for the question. I unfortunately don't have the answer to this question ! Would require some researching ! Adding to the list :)

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