“Beneath the Wheel” is a song about having to keep up with the expectations the world, society, or someone else has imposed on you, and you can’t ever slow down or lag behind or else you’ll get dragged ‘beneath the wheel’ and suffer.
It could also be a reference to the 1906 novel Beneath the Wheel...
Beneath The Wheel
Go! - Don't be late
First one out of the starting gate
Run! - Be on time
First one to cross the finish line
Swim ahead of the school
If you have to, cheat
If you never slow down
You'll never be beat
If you lose in life
It's because you lagged
Keep up with the traffic
Or you'll get dragged down
Beneath the wheel
Go! - Don't be tardy
Fell asleep last night at a party
Run! - Make the grade
School's a job but you don't get paid
Run at the head of the pack
Be the leader in this race
Stay up front
Just in case
If you lose in life
It's because you lagged
Keep up with the traffic
Or you'll get dragged down
Beneath the wheel
Go! - Don't be late
First one out of the starting gate
Run! - Make the grade
School's a job but you don't get paid
Don't play child's games
They're just a waste of mind
Study every night or you might fall behind-
Dragged down beneath the wheel
Beneath the wheel
Stop! - You can't win
But you can always
Catch up in the end
Beneath the Wheel was written by Spike Cassidy & Kurt Brecht & Felix Griffin & John Menor.
Beneath the Wheel was produced by Spike Cassidy & Bill Metoyer.
D.R.I. released Beneath the Wheel on Tue Oct 10 1989.