Synopsis

The Human League perform "Heart Like a Wheel" in a stylized studio setting, with Philip Oakey, Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley framed through brisk cuts, close-ups and polished late-1990 pop imagery. The presentation keeps the trio at the center while the song's themes of emotional detachment, social unease and a world driven by anger are carried mainly by Oakey's vocal. Rather than telling a conventional story, the video functions as a sleek promotional performance for the band's return to the charts.

Factoids & Trivia

• "Heart Like a Wheel" was the first single from the Human League's 1990 album *Romantic?*, and marked the band's first release of the 1990s.

• The song was co-written by former Human League member Jo Callis and Eugene Reynolds of the Rezillos. Martin Rushent produced and mixed the recording, renewing his association with the group after several years apart.

• Virgin Records supported the single with a comparatively substantial promotional campaign. The band later recalled that they had personally paid for the video as part of the effort to relaunch the group.

• Joanne Catherall later said that the song had "bad associations" for the band, and that they often left it out of their set. It nevertheless remained popular with audiences in several overseas markets and was occasionally brought back for international shows.

• The single reached No. 29 in the UK, No. 32 in the United States and No. 64 in Australia.

• The video was later included on *The Very Best of The Human League* DVD. On the 1995 *Greatest Video Hits* release, it was reportedly listed as "Love Is All That Matters," although the video actually presented was "Heart Like a Wheel."