Baker Street

Gerry Rafferty

About Baker Street

"Baker Street" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty. Released as a single in 1978, it reached No. 1 in Cash Box and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it held that position for six weeks, behind Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing". It spent four weeks at No. 1 in Canada, No. 1 in Australia and South Africa, hit No. 3 in the United Kingdom, and the top 10 in the Netherlands. Rafferty received the 1978 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. The arrangement is known for its saxophone riff. In October 2010, the song was recognised by BMI for surpassing five million performances worldwide. It was awarded Gold Certification on two occasions, on 1 April 1978 and 22 July 2013 by the BPI in the UK. 


Year:
1997
6:08
4,205 
#12

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Winding your way down on Baker Street
Light in your head and dead on your feet
Well, another crazy day
You'll drink the night away
And forget about everything

This city desert makes you feel so cold
It's got so many people, but it's got no soul
And it's taken you so long
To find out you were wrong
When you thought it held everything

You used to think that it was so easy
You used to say that it was so easy
But you're trying, you're trying now

Another year and then you'd be happy
Just one more year and then you'd be happy
But you're crying, you're crying now

Way down the street there's a light in his place
He opens the door, he's got that look on his face
And he asks you where you've been
You tell him who you've seen
And you talk about anything

He's got this dream about buying some land
He's gonna give up the booze and the one-night stands
And then he'll settle down
In some quiet little town
And forget about everything

But you know he'll always keep moving
You know he's never gonna stop moving
'Cause he's rolling, he's the rolling stone
And when you wake up, it's a new morning
The sun is shining, it's a new morning
And you're going, you're going home

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Gerry Rafferty

Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty (16 April 1947 – 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer-songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street" and "Right Down the Line", and with the band Stealers Wheel, "Stuck in the Middle with You". Rafferty was born into a working-class family in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. His mother taught him both Irish and Scottish folk songs as a boy; later, he was influenced by the music of The Beatles and Bob Dylan. He joined the folk-pop group The Humblebums in 1969. After they disbanded in 1971, he recorded his first solo album, Can I Have My Money Back? Rafferty and Joe Egan formed the group Stealers Wheel in 1972, producing several hits, most notably "Stuck in the Middle with You". In 1978, he recorded his second solo album, City t… more »

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Written by: Gerald Rafferty

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Release Date
"Baker Street" was released in 1978, as part of Gerry Rafferty's second studio album, "City to City."
Chart Success
The song reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 1 in Canada, No. 3 in the United States, and Top 5 in Australia, making it Rafferty's most successful song.
Iconic Saxophone Solo
The song features a prominent eight-bar saxophone riff played by Raphael Ravenscroft, contributing to the song's distinct and memorable sound.
Lyrics Inspiration
The lyrics of "Baker Street" was reportedly inspired by Rafferty's feelings of frustration and alienation during his time as a busker (street performer) in London.
Use in Media
"Baker Street" has been featured in several films and TV shows over the years, such as "Good Will Hunting", "The Simpsons" and "Rick and Morty".
Cover Versions
Plenty of artists have covered "Baker Street" in many different styles, but the most successful cover version to date is by Undercover, which reached No. 2 in the UK in 1992.
Royalty Earnings
Gerry Rafferty reportedly earned over £80,000 a year from "Baker Street" in royalties before his death in 2011.
Misinterpreted Lyrics
It’s often assumed that the song is about a man dreaming of buying a house on Baker Street in London, based on the line "he dreams of buying some land". However, it's actually about the feeling of solitude within a big city and wanting to escape that.
Album Success
Thanks to the success of "Baker Street", Rafferty's "City to City" album knocked off the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack from the top spot on the U.S. album charts.
Song Length
The original album version of "Baker Street" has a running time of 6 minutes and 1 second, but a shorter version of 4 minutes and 8 seconds was released for radio play.
Memorable Hook
The saxophone solo from "Baker Street" has become one of the most recognized musical hooks in pop music.

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    Baker Street

    11M
    83,875     2,440

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1978

    Billboard #2


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