๐ง 11 Thrilling Will or Wheel Songs features Dua Lipa, Michael Jackson, Natalie Cole, Queen & Whitney Houston.
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uestion: do you prefer the word will or wheel? Honestly, it doesnโt matter because this compendium โ ๐ง 11 Thrilling Will or Wheel Songs โ covers both words!ย Obviously, weโre dealing with homophones here, sigh! Some of the songs features will as in,ย โI will do this or that,โ while others feature wheel, as in ๐ต โJesus, Take the Wheelโ!The musicians providing us with these will or wheel songs include ๐ Dua Lipa, ๐ Michael Jackson, ๐ Natalie Cole, ๐ Queen, and ๐ Whitney Houston among others. ย Weโve got some pop, R&B, rap, rock, and country (โJesus, Take the Wheelโ is one of two country songs that makes the cut ๐). So, without further ado, are you #Team Will or #Team Wheel? Plenty of time to decide while partaking of ๐ง 11 Thrilling Will or Wheel Songs!!!
1. Queen, โWe Will Rock Youโ
๐ฟ News of the World โข ๐ท Hollywood โข ๐ 1977
โBuddy, youโre a boy, make a big noise / Playing in the street / Gonna be a big man someday.โ Ah, please continue ๐ Freddie Mercury! โYou got mud on your face / You big disgrace / Kicking your can / All over the place, singingโฆโ I think EVERYBODY and his brother (or sister) can sing the following line: โWe will, we will rock you!โย ๐ต โWe Will Rock Youโ (๐ฟ News of the World, 1977) is one of the best ๐ Queen songs of all time.ย Furthermore, itโs one of the greatest songs, regardless of band or musical style of all time!
There are so many reasons why โWe Will Rock Youโ is the sugar honey iced tea. One big reason is Freddie effing Mercury, who is nothing short of awesome.ย Mercuryโs voice was a once-in-a-lifetime voice, period.ย Did the man ever miss a note? I certainly donโt believe so, particularly with his wide range.ย The lyrics, particularly the sing along chorus, is another reason why โWe Will Rock Youโ is epic.ย The verses are also energetic and memorable.ย All that said, the thing that really makes โWe Will Rock Youโ so timeless is the body percussion, woo! Children and adults everywhere love the simple yet innovative groove that is instantly recognizable.ย Also, give some love to ๐ Brian May and that awesome guitar solo (and writing the song, too).
2. Carrie Underwood, โJesus, Take the Wheelโ
๐ฟ Some Hearts โข ๐ท 19 / Sony โข ๐ 2005
โJesus take the wheel / Take it from my hands / โCause I cannot do this on my own.โ Say that, ๐ Carrie Underwood, SAY THAT! โIโm letting go / So give me one more chance / Save me from this road I am on / Jesus take the wheel.โ Hallelujah! Need an awesome, slightly nontraditional sermonic selection? How about the authentic, beloved Underwood gem, ๐ต โJesus, Take the Wheelโ (๐ฟ Some Hearts, 2005)? ย This ๐ Grammy-winning, top-20 Billboard Hot 100 hit was penned by ๐ผโ Brett James, ๐ผโ Gordon Sampson, and ๐ผโ Hillary Lindsey, and produced by ๐ Mark Wright.
In โJesus, Take the Wheel,โ Underwood tells the story of a woman who sees her life flashing before her eyes while driving home for Christmas.ย Knowing that sheโs losing control, she prays that โJesus take the wheel.โ
โShe was goinโ way too fast
Before she knew it
She was spinninโ on a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn’t even have time to cry
She was so scared
She threw her hands up in the air.โ
Ultimately, the bigger picture of Underwoodโs โWheelโ classic is letting Go and letting God.
Appears in ๐ฝ:
3. Dua Lipa, โBoys Will Be Boysโ
๐ฟ Future Nostalgia โขย ๐ท Warner โข ๐ 2020
โWhen will we stop saying things? / โCause theyโre all listening / No, the kids ainโt alright / Oh, and they do what they see / โCause itโs all on TV / Oh, the kids ainโt alright.โ Sigh, ๐ Dua Lipa knocked it out of the park with her sophomore album, ๐ฟ Future Nostalgia.ย The ๐ Grammy-winning pop artist concludes the standard version of the LP with ๐ต โBoys Will Be Boys.โ โBoys Will Be Boys,โ is pretty straightforward in its messaging, and focuses on female empowerment (โAnd that was sarcasm, in case you need it mansplainedโ).
The chorus, the centerpiece, sums things up perfectly:
โBoys will be, boys will be
Boys will be, boys will be boys
But girls will be women.โ
While Future Nostalgia lacks a slow jam, the brief balladry of โBoys Will Be Boysโ is the closest the album comes.ย Dua shows off the versatility of her instrument throughout Future Nostalgia, but this pseudo ballad further confirms her skills.
Appears in ๐ฝ:
4. Joji, โWill Heโ
๐ฟ In Tongues (Deluxe) โข ๐ท 88rising โข ๐ 2018
โWill your tongue still remember the taste of my lips? / Will your shadow remember the swing of my hips? / Will your lover caress you the way that I did?โย ๐ต โWill Heโย opensย ๐ฟ In Tonguesย enigmatically. Itโs melancholy, indulgent, and heavy.ย Despite the weight carried by the sound and vibe, this ๐ Joji record is quite beautiful and well-produced.
Jojiย delivers respectable vocals, singing the moody lyrics with passion and authenticity.ย He successfully conveys his feelings and the narrative.ย That narrative is ex-girl is with a new boy and itโs not him.
โCause I donโt need to know
I just wanna make sure youโre okay (okay)
I donโt need to know
I just wanna make sure youโre all safe
All safe, all safe.โ
Although a bitย indulgent, all in all, โWill Heโ is a great start toย In Tongues and a record worth listening to.
Appears in ๐ฝ:
5. Cรฉline Dion, โMy Heart Will Go Onโ โ Love Theme from Titanic
๐ฟ Letโs Talk About Love โข ๐ท Sony โขย ๐ 1997
โEvery night in my dreams / I see you; I feel you / That is how I know you go on.โ Oh, the feels, the feel, the feels! Thereโs no way that the ๐ Cรฉline Dion WILL classic, ๐ต โMy Heart Will Go On,โ would dare miss this WILL-driven list!
โMy Heart Will Go Onโ is timeless, period.ย The โLove Theme from Titanicโ was ubiquitous in 1997.ย So was the James Cameron film, ๐ฆ Titanic, for that matter!ย โMy Heart Will Go Onโ has everything to do with the love story between Jack and Rose.ย Even celebrating itโs silver anniversary, the Love Theme from Titanic is still the potent tearjerker.
โNear, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more, you open the door
And youโre here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on.โ
Appears in ๐ฝ:
6. Eric Church, โHeart Like a Wheelโ
๐ฟ Desperate Man โข ๐ท EMI Nashville โขย ๐ 2018
โBut I got a heart like a wheel, baby, letโs go / Get in this heart like a wheel and baby, letโs roll.โ Following a three-year hiatus,ย ๐ Grammy-nominatedย country artistย ๐ Eric Churchย returned with his sixth studio album,ย ๐ฟ Desperate Man, in 2018. ๐ต โHeart Like a Wheelโ appears as the third track off Desperate Man with love playing being the central theme.
Vocally, Church remains true to his country roots, while also bringing some legit soul into the fold. The soulfulness doesnโt only come courtesy of Churchโs roaring lead, but also high-flying supporting vocals, not to mention the vintage, old-school backdrop. The six-eight meter also helps to establish the feel of an old-school, mid-tempo country ballad. ย Lyrically, โHeart Like a Wheelโ is chocked-full of commitment, despite the hurdles that might arrive. ย The third and final verse is a prime example.
โCanโt say there wonโt be rough patches
Scratches from thorns and briars
Over or under, weโll roll like thunder
As long as thereโs tread on these tires.โ
Appears in ๐ฝ:
7. Natalie Cole, โThis Will Be (An Everlasting Love)โ
๐ฟ Inseparable โข ๐ท Capitol โข ๐ 1975
โThis will be an everlasting love / This will be the one Iโve waited for / This will be the first time anyone has loved me, oh, oh, oh.โ Oh, what a ๐ต โMighty Loveโ as ๐ The Spinners would describe it! There canโt be a conversation about the late, great ๐ Natalie Cole without her โace in the hole.โย Which of her many hits is her โace in the hole,โ you ask? Well, from my estimations, itโs the bright, exuberant ๐ต โThis Will Be (An Everlasting Love)โ. Simply put, Natalie flies high on this jazzy, spirited, instantly recognizable soul classic. The excerpted lyrics are ICONIC!
โHugging and squeezing
And kissing and pleasing
Together forever through rain or whatever
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah you and me.โ
โThis Will Beโ graces one of Coleโs most important, most notable albums, ๐ฟ Inseparable, released in 1975.ย Somehow, โThis Will Beโ is NOT Coleโs highest-peaking single on the pop charts. Regardless, this โTHISโ classic is by far the most decorated song of her illustrious career. It peaked at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 โ #HIT! Also, Inseparable was a top 20 album. Cole landed a ๐ Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance for this song, also winning one for Best New Artist of the Year.ย Basically, โThis Will Be (An Everlasting Love)โ is one of the greatest songs of all time!
Appears in ๐ฝ:
- Natalie Cole, โThis Will Be (An Everlasting Love)โ: Throwback Vibez ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ No. 7 (2022)
- These 15 Songs are About THIS
8. Tory Lanez, โFeRRis WhEElโ (Ft. Trippie Redd)
๐ฟ LoVe me NOwย โข ๐ท Interscope โข ๐ 2018
โWe stay lit, all that shit / Damn,ย lilย baby, what you call that shit? / Thatโs the red nose shawty, you a dog,ย lilโ bitch / Touch the damn floor with your paws,ย lilโ bitch.โย Not the most subtle chorus there, ๐ Trippie Redd, โbut to each his own.โ Interestingly,ย ๐ต โFeRRis WhEElโย isnโt Trippie Reddโs song, despite the fact he delivers the chorus, as well as the first verse.ย The record actuallyย arrives as the eighth track onย ๐ฟ LoVe me NOw, the third album by Canadian rapper and singerย ๐ Tory Lanez.
Onย โFeRRis WhEEl,โย Toryย Lanez keeps things short, just crossing the two-and-a-half-minute mark.ย Itโs really short for Lanez, considering he only appears in the second verse. ย The song itself hasย NOTHINGย to do withย theย actualย amusement park rideโฆย Lines like โGirl you look good when you back that ass upโ clarify this ainโt no kidsโ ride.ย Instead,ย โFeRRis WhEElโย is sexually charged, confirmed byย Urban Dictionary. Take my word for it, youโll never think of a Ferris wheel the same way again.ย Also, it should be noted that Lanez โborrowsโ stuff once again, this time, ๐ต โWait (The Whisper Song)โ.
Appears in ๐ฝ:
9. Rush, โFreewillโ
๐ฟ Permanent Waves โข ๐ท Anthem / UMG Recordings, Inc. โข ๐ 1980ย
โI will choose a path thatโs clear, I will choose freewill.โ Yep, thatโs what Canadian prog-rock veterans ๐ Rush assert on classic ๐ต โFreewill.โ โFreewillโ appears on their 1980 album, ๐ฟ Permanent Waves. Late, great drummer ๐ Neil Peart, also the lyricist for iconic band, was a humanist responsible for many of the freethinking references within the bandโs music.ย Of course, all members of Rush โ ๐ Geddy Lee and ๐ Alex Lifeson โ are self-proclaimed atheists.
Merriam-Webster does a pretty bang-up job of defining freewill. At its simplest, freewill is โvoluntary choice decision.โ Adding the religious angle, free will is the โfreedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by divine intervention.โ Basically, Rush focuses on the latter in โFreewill,โ which makes perfect sense given their collective atheism.ย Simple as the concept is, Peart manages to give Lee some awesome, poetic, and thought-provoking lyrics, such as the fifth and final verse.
โEach of us, a cell of awareness
Imperfect and incomplete
Genetic blends
With uncertain ends
On a fortune hunt thatโs far too fleet.โย
Appears in ๐ฝ:
10. Michael Jackson, โWill You Be There (Theme from Free Willy)โ
๐ฟ Dangerous โข ๐ท MJJ Productions โข ๐ 1991
โHold me like the River Jordan / And I will then say to thee, you are my friend.โ ๐ต โWill You Be Thereโ ranks among the elite, later hits by ๐ Michael Jackson.ย Long before asking us to โCarry me like you are my brother / Love me like a mother, will you be there,โ the ๐ Grammy winner had already cemented his legacy.ย โWill You Be Thereโ appears on Jacksonโs 1991 New Jack Swing infused album, ๐ฟ Dangerous.ย That said, the version of the gem I prefer is a shortened single version that serves as the theme from ๐ฝ Free Willy.
Michael Jackson sings incredibly, period.ย Sure, he always sounds awesome but on โWill You Be There,โ he takes that beloved tenor (and beyond) to another level.ย Serving as the lead, backed by a superb gospel choir, itโs hard to listen to this record and NOT feel something.ย No, โWill You Be Thereโ never mentions God or a deity, and isnโt a contemporary gospel record, but it feels like a spiritual experience.ย Jackson seems to be seeking someone who can and will be there for him in a world filled with adversity and lofty expectations.ย โWhen weary, tell me will you hold me? When wrong, will you scold me? When lost will you find me?โ he asks.ย Among the most memorable sections of โWill You Be Thereโ arrives on the powerful bridge, which precedes a modulating breakdown section.ย Jackson proclaims:
โEveryoneโs taking control of me
Seems that the worldโs got a role for me
Iโm so confused, will you show to me
Youโll be there for me and care enough to bear me?โ
The ad-libs that follow in the breakdown section are some of Jacksonโs finest of his illustrious career.ย Who doesnโt love to hear him welp (โHooโ)! โWill You Be Thereโ is a must-hear throwback gem that never grows old.
Appears in ๐ฝ:
11. Whitney Houston, โI Will Always Love Youโ
๐ฟ The Bodyguard โ Original Soundtrack Album โข ๐ท Arista โข ๐ 1992
โIf I should stay / I would only be in your way / So Iโll go, but I know / Iโll think of you every step of the way.โ Sorry to every other R&B artist who released music in 1992.ย Why? Well, the best R&B song of that year belongs to one woman and one woman only. Pretty amazing how Whitney Houston totally transformed ๐ต โI Will Always Love You,โ a country song written by ๐ Dolly Parton isnโt it?
Thereโs not much commentary needed for this record โ it speaks for itself.ย This is the greatest of Whitney Houstonโs many, many hits.ย At her best, who could out-perform her?ย The best moment is the modulation (key change), where from then on, Houston goes to a completely different level. No matter who sings this masterpiece in the future, there will only ever be one definitive, truly iconic version.
Appears in ๐ฝ:
- 11 Best R&B Songs: 1990 โ 2000
- 15 Ear Catching Covers
- Dolly Parton vs. Whitney Houston: Head 2 Head ๐ฃ๏ธ No. 10 (2021)
- 15 More Soul Oldies That Tickle My Fancy (Vol. 2)
๐ง 11 Thrilling Will or Wheel Songs [๐ท: 19, 88rising, Angela Romaย fromย Pexels, Anthem, Arista, Brent Faulkner, Capitol, EMI Nashville, Hollywood, Interscope, Mikeย fromย Pexels, MJJ Productions, The Musical Hype, Pexels,ย Philippe HECKELย fromย Pexels, Sony, Tazz Vaughn, UMG Recordings, Inc., Warner]