Stuck In The Middle With You · Stealers Wheel

Stealers Wheel

℗ 1972 A&M Records Ltd.

Released on: 1972-01-01

Vocals, Keyboards: Joe Egan

Vocals, Guitar: Gerry Rafferty

Guitar: Paul Pilnick

Bass Guitar: Tony Williams

Drums: Rod Coombes

Studio Personnel, Recording Engineer: John Mills

Studio Personnel, Recording Engineer: Geoff Emerick

Producer: Jerome Leiber

Producer: Mike Stoller

Composer Lyricist: Gerry Rafferty

Composer Lyricist: Joe Egan

"Stuck in the Middle" was released on Stealers Wheel's 1972 eponymous debut album. Gerry Rafferty provided the lead vocals, with Joe Egan singing harmony. It was produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Rafferty's lyrics are a dismissive tale of a music industry cocktail party written and performed as a parody of Bob Dylan's paranoia (the vocal impression, subject, and styling were so similar, listeners have wrongly attributed the song to Dylan since its release).

Lyrics

Well, I don't know why I came here tonight

I got the feeling that something ain't right

I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair

And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right

Here I am, stuck in the middle with you

Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you

And I'm wondering what it is I should do

It's so hard to keep this smile from my face

Losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right

Here I am, stuck in the middle with you

Well, you started off with nothing

And you're proud that you're a self-made man

And your friends they all come crawlin'

Slap you on the back and say, "Please, please"

Trying to make some sense of it all

But I can see it makes no sense at all

Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor?

Well, I don't think I can take anymore

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right

Here I am, stuck in the middle with you

Well, you started out with nothing

And you're proud that you're a self-made man

And your friends they all come crawlin'

Slap you on the back and say, "Please, please"

Yeah, I don't know why I came here tonight

I got the feeling that something ain't right

I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair

And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right

Here I am, stuck in the middle with you

Yes, I'm stuck in the middle with you

Stuck in the middle with you

Here I am, stuck in the middle with you