Wheels of Glory
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"Wheels of Glory" is a Longest Johns original, written by Robbie Sattin and released as track 1 on the EP The Longest Pony in collaboration with El Pony Pisador. The song is an homage to the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling, an annual event in the village of Brockworth in Gloucestershire, England, wherein a 3-4 kg round of Double Gloucester cheese is sent rolling down an extremely steep hill and participants chase after it, with the first to reach the bottom of the hill winning the cheese.
Factoids
The first written reference to cheese rolling dates to 1826, though some locals date the tradition at least to the mid-1700s, and others claim it is even older. [1]
Cooper's Hill, the site of the race, is 200 yards long with a 1:2 gradient, and the cheese can reach speeds of up to 70 mph. [2]
Due to the steep, uneven slope, injuries are a regular occurrence. Volunteers act as "catchers" to help stop those who reach the bottom of the hill on foot and provide first aid to those who don't, and ambulances are on hand to transport those requiring hospital treatment. Even so, the event has been called "the world's most dangerous footrace".[3]
The record for most races won belongs to Brockworth native Chris Anderson, who won his 23rd cheese in 2022, despite claiming to only like cheddar. (He has auctioned off at least one of the cheeses for charity.)[4]
Lyrics
The years have been tough
And no one could blame you for feeling so rough
You need a distraction
A thrill for your body and mind
So come on with me
For I know a hill in the Gloucestershire trees
We'll head to the top
And we'll chase down some cheese
Oh yes! You heard me correct
As we fly...
{Chorus}
Over stone and over fern
Down the banks we're going
Up the peak and back again
Limbs are to-and-fro-ing
Over stone and over fern
Down the banks we're going
Edam, brie, and cheddar, boys
Just keep that cheese a-rolling!
It's hard at the top
So stretch out your hamstrings and pull up your socks
And if you should fall
May the landing be soft on your bones
Hear victory's call
It sounds like a siren across stony walls
But greatest of all you could roll down that slope
A living legend, a beacon of hope
We'll make our mothers proud
As we fly...
{Chorus}
{Instrumental}
{Chorus}
Over stone and over fern
Down the banks we're going
Up the peak and back again
Limbs are to-and-fro-ing
Over stone and over fern
Down the banks we're going
Edam, brie, and cheddar, boys
Roquefort, mozzarella, boys
Jarlsberg, stilton, feta, boys
Keep that cheese a-rolling!
Recordings
Streaming/Purchase
YouTube Videos
Gig Videos
- Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, UK (1 Feb 2025) (with El Pony Pisador)
- Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, UK (8 Feb 2025) (with El Pony Pisador)
- ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/articles/2009/05/07/cheese_rolling_history_feature.shtml
- ↑ https://www.visitgloucester.co.uk/things-to-do/history-and-heritage/cheese-rolling-in-gloucester
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper%27s_Hill_Cheese-Rolling_and_Wake
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Anderson_(cheese_roller)