The iconic song “Stuck in the Middle with You” performed by Stealers Wheel, was released on their 1972 eponymous debut album. It reached #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and #8 in the UK. This is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences today.
Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan wrote this song, which Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller produced. Rafferty’s lyrics are a dismissive tale of a music industry cocktail party, performed as a parody of Bob Dylan’s style. The music video portrays the band performing in the corner of a large, empty building, with shots of Egan miming a vocal track by Rafferty at a small banquet table with several garishly dressed and made-up supper guests.
The clown, who has difficulty eating a plastic chicken, continually squeezes Egan out whenever he tries to take food from the table. The guitar solo is played on a flat guitar with an empty beer bottle used as a slide. Eventually, the other band members appear, driving off the strange characters so that Egan can sit down at last.
As many commenters have noted, this song has stood the test of time. One person wrote that “good music never dies” and that Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan did a great job on this record. Another commenter said that they loved this song, and a third remarked that they’d loved it since its release in ’72. Since its use in Reservoir Dogs always reminds them of the movie.
Stealers Wheel was a great group, and their music continues to delight audiences. The song’s upbeat tune and catchy lyrics make it perfect for dancing and singing along.
I highly recommend watching the music video to get a sense of the band’s energy and the creative use of props. You can share this video with your friends because this song is a classic everyone should enjoy.
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