You’re driving through the rain-slicked, neon-choked streets of Night City. Maybe you’re headed toward a gig in the Glen, or you’re just killing time between Dogtown incursions. Then, the radio glitches. A static-heavy, soulful rendition of a spiritual starts playing. It’s "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel." In a world defined by chrome, neural links, and corporate tyranny, this 19th-century folk song feels like a glitch in the Matrix. It’s eerie. It’s haunting. And honestly, it’s one of the most effective uses of "creepy-lore" CD Projekt Red has ever pulled off.
The ezekiel saw the wheel cyberpunk connection isn't just a random music choice. It’s a deliberate layer of world-building that bridges the gap between ancient mysticism and high-tech dystopia.
What is the "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel" Mystery?
Most players first encountered this during the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion. Specifically, it’s tied to the quest "Sleeper Agent" or heard through the mysterious 97.3 Morro Rock Radio frequency. It isn't your standard synthwave or heavy metal track. The song is an African-American spiritual, traditionally referencing the biblical vision of the prophet Ezekiel—a vision of "wheels within wheels" descending from the heavens.
In the context of Night City, the song is used as a signal. It’s a literal and metaphorical "call" from the Blackwall. For those not deep into the lore, the Blackwall is the massive AI-controlled firewall that keeps the "Old Net"—a digital wasteland filled with rogue, god-like AIs—from annihilating humanity. When you hear this song, you aren't just hearing music. You’re hearing the sound of something from the "outside" trying to get in.
It's creepy. Really creepy.
The Biblical Parallel: Wheels Within Wheels
Ezekiel’s vision in the Bible is often cited by ancient astronaut theorists as "evidence" of UFOs. He described four living creatures and a complex arrangement of wheels that moved in every direction simultaneously. In the ezekiel saw the wheel cyberpunk interpretation, these wheels represent the layers of the Net.
Think about it.
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The Net in Cyberpunk 2077 is built on layers of old code, buried sub-directories, and the terrifying expanse beyond the Blackwall. The "wheels within wheels" are the cycles of data and the cyclical nature of human destruction. Just as Ezekiel saw something he couldn't comprehend—something divine or perhaps extraterrestrial—the inhabitants of Night City are starting to see the AIs beyond the Blackwall as new, digital gods.
Songbird (So Mi) is the central figure here. She’s a netrunner who has spent so much time poking holes in the Blackwall that she’s essentially becoming a conduit for these entities. When the song plays, it often signals her presence or the influence of the rogue AIs she’s interacting with. It’s a haunting reminder that while V is worried about a chip in their head, the rest of the world is standing on the edge of a digital apocalypse.
Why CD Projekt Red Chose This Specific Song
Music has always been a weapon in Cyberpunk. Johnny Silverhand used it to spark a revolution. But "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel" serves a different purpose. It highlights the "Cyber-Gothic" elements of the genre.
Cyberpunk isn't just about glowing lights and fast cars. It’s about the loss of the soul.
By using a spiritual—a genre of music born out of the literal enslavement of human beings—the game draws a sharp, painful parallel to the "digital enslavement" happening in 2077. Whether it’s the corporate wage slaves or the netrunners being used as tools by the NUSA, the themes of yearning for liberation and seeing a "higher power" (even a terrifying one) fit perfectly.
The Morro Rock Radio Easter Egg
If you listen to Mike Pondsmith’s character, Maximum Mike, on Morro Rock Radio, he rambles about conspiracies. Many of them turn out to be true. He talks about the "Techno-Necromancers from Alpha Centauri." While that sounds like tinfoil-hat nonsense, the ezekiel saw the wheel cyberpunk motif suggests that "entities" from the deep Net are indeed trying to communicate using old-world imagery.
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Players have reported the song playing at specific, scripted moments when the boundary between reality and the Net thins. It’s a sonic warning.
The Technical Execution: Sound Design as Narrative
The version of the song used in the game is distorted. It has this analog warmth that feels out of place in a digital world. That’s a classic horror trope: the "uncanny" presence of the old in a new environment.
The audio team at CDPR, including directors like Marcin Przybyłowicz, understood that to make the Net feel scary, they had to move away from binary beeps and boops. They needed something human. Something ancient. The choice of a spiritual provides a sense of "deep time." It suggests that no matter how much chrome we put in our bodies, we are still haunted by the same visions and fears as our ancestors.
Honestly, it’s just brilliant directing. You're hacking a terminal, the screen flickers red, and a soft voice starts singing about wheels in the sky. It stays with you.
Misconceptions About the Song’s Meaning
A lot of people online think the song is a hint toward a specific "hidden" ending involving the Blue-Eyed Man or the hidden statues (FF:06:B5). While everything in Cyberpunk is connected, the song is likely more of a thematic "mood setter" than a literal map to a secret boss.
Some fans argue it’s a direct reference to "Project Oracle." This is a theory that the AIs are already running everything and that the "wheel" is the cycle of simulations. It’s a cool idea. Is it 100% confirmed by the devs? No. But that’s the beauty of the ezekiel saw the wheel cyberpunk mystery—it invites you to become as paranoid as the NPCs living in Night City.
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How to Experience the "Ezekiel" Moments Yourself
If you want to track down these moments, you need to pay attention to your surroundings in Dogtown.
- Radio 97.3: Sometimes the signal overrides other stations. This happens most frequently near the heavy industrial areas or the Blackwall-adjacent labs.
- The "Sleeper Agent" Quest: Listen closely during the phone booth sequence. The atmosphere is thick with this specific brand of dread.
- Netrunner Dens: Often, you’ll find shards nearby that talk about "voices" or "music" coming from the Net. These are the lore breadcrumbs that lead back to the Ezekiel theme.
It’s worth noting that the song doesn't play for everyone at the same time. It feels somewhat randomized, which adds to the "ghost in the machine" vibe.
The Actionable Truth of Night City Lore
If you’re a fan of the genre, the ezekiel saw the wheel cyberpunk phenomenon is a masterclass in how to merge folklore with futurism. It reminds us that "high tech, low life" also includes "old souls."
The song serves as a bridge. It connects the 1800s, the 2020s (when the original tabletop game was booming), and the fictional 2077. It’s a reminder that we are always looking at the "wheels" and trying to make sense of the heavens, even when those heavens are made of neon and malicious code.
To truly appreciate the depth here, don't just play the missions. Park your car in a dark alley in Pacifica. Turn off the HUD. Switch the radio to the "glitch" frequencies. Wait. When the song kicks in, you'll realize that the scariest thing in Night City isn't Adam Smasher—it's the idea that something ancient is watching us through the wires.
Next Steps for Lore Hunters
- Scan the Shards: Look for any mention of "The Prophet" or "Old Net Transmissions" in your inventory.
- Visit the North Oak Sign: There are specific audio triggers in the high-rent districts that contrast sharply with the "spiritual" themes of the song.
- Listen to the Lyrics: Pay attention to the verses about "the big wheel run by faith." In 2077, faith has been replaced by data, but the "running" hasn't stopped.
Night City is full of noise, but it's the quiet, distorted songs that tell the real story.