Wheels of Love — a heartfelt circle of hope and resilience, sung by voices that carry deep truth
When the gentle harmony of Emmylou Harris, Iris DeMent, and Mary Black unfolds in “Wheels of Love”, what greets the listener isn’t just a song — it’s a weathered reminder that love’s journey, like the turning of wheels, keeps moving even when each of us feels worn and unsure.
Here are the key facts first, the ones that anchor this piece in a firm place before we sink into its emotional depth: “Wheels of Love” was written by Nashville songwriter Marjy Plant, a storyteller whose gift for simple yet evocative lyricism makes this tune resonate with folks who’ve lived long enough to understand love’s twists and turns. The song was recorded by Emmylou Harris with harmony vocals by Iris DeMent and Mary Black for Emmylou’s album Brand New Dance, released in 1990. On the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, the track reached #71 — modest by commercial standards, yet significant in its heartfelt embrace of traditional country and folk sensibilities.
What makes “Wheels of Love” particularly meaningful isn’t its chart position, but the lineage of voices and their shared musical history. Emmylou Harris was already a beloved figure in country and Americana music by 1990, known for her crystalline voice and a career that blended tender ballads with rootsy authenticity. Iris DeMent, whose own debut album was still emerging into the world and whose songwriting would soon be celebrated for its unguarded honesty, brings a plaintive purity to the harmonies. Mary Black, an Irish singer cherished for her luminous folk tradition, adds another layer of earnest beauty, knitting together traditions of country, folk, and Celtic soul.
Right from the opening line — “The wheels of love turn around and around / Keep on rollin’ ’til you’ve found / The perfect partner…” — there’s a rhythm nearly like breathing. The words move in a circle: hope, heartbreak, learning, and the courage to continue turning, continuing seeking. Listeners of a certain age understand this instinctively: love doesn’t travel in straight lines. It curves. It circles. It sometimes hurts before it heals.
Picture yourself in a quiet living room decades ago, the record needle lowering gently onto vinyl. The warm tones of acoustic guitar and steel slide usher in the song, and a voice that has carried joy and sorrow in equal measure begins to sing. This is the voice of experience — not polished only for the charts, but seasoned by life’s deep questions. To hear it alongside the pure, earnest harmonies of DeMent and the luminous resonance of Black is to be reminded that love, especially in later years, becomes something richer: less about perfection and more about perseverance.
There’s an almost spiritual quality to the chorus. “They’ll take you for a ride like a merry-go-round / Don’t let the heartache hold you down…” It’s as though the song offers not just commentary, but counsel. It acknowledges that heartbreak will come; that sometimes the right person arrives late, or the wrong one leaves too soon. But it also reminds us that there’s still plenty of love left to be found, if we allow our hearts to keep turning.
What elevates this performance is the sense of shared wisdom among these women. Emmylou Harris, already a respected elder voice in her genre; Iris DeMent, whose songwriting would soon explore the nuances of aging, faith, and memory; and Mary Black, steeped in the folk traditions of Ireland — together they create a tapestry that feels lived-in and trusting. This is less a commercial country single and more a hymn sung around a quiet fire, one that invites listeners to reflect on the twists and turns of their own emotional paths.
For someone whose life has seen the promise and struggle of relationships, “Wheels of Love” becomes something more than a song — it becomes a mirror. A mirror that reflects the circles we walk in, the lessons we learn, and the steadfast hope that carries us forward. It’s a song that doesn’t shout; it doesn’t plead. It simply remembers — and in its remembering, invites us to remember too.
In the end, the wheels keep turning — not because love is easy, but because it is enduring. And in the voices of Harris, DeMent, and Black, that endurance feels like companionship itself.