Song: Baker Street Artist: Gerry Rafferty (Originally published Dec.5, 2011)

I remember when Baker Street came out in 1978 because this song compelled me to buy the whole album, which was great. The most unusual thing about this song is that the chorus is entirely instrumental with that distinguishable sax solo. Apparently this song lead to a resurgence in the purchase of saxophones, called the “Baker Street Phenomenon”. Any song that drives people to want to learn an instrument is okay in my books!

The whole album is terrific, and I seriously don’t think he had as successful an album since that one.  One of Gerry’s more famous previous songs was “Stuck In The Middle” from his stint in the band Stealer’s Wheel, but for me Baker Street was far superior.  He wrote it after Stealer’s Wheel broke up and he was involved in a prolonged legal battle to get out of his contract with the band.  He travelled quite a bit between Glasgow and London during the contract dispute and ended up staying at a friend’s in London on Baker Street, where the idea for the song was born.

The Baker Street sax solo was supposedly first meant to be sung, then a guitar bit was considered.   It was the session player Raphael Ravenscroft who suggested he try it on a soprano sax, and the rest is history.  When I think of it now, I can’t imagine it being anything other than sax.

“Winding your way down Baker Street”…lyrically, the song is in the second person but I imagine the song as being autobiographical, describing a guy who has had some struggles with alcohol and depression, with life being lived out on the low end.  “Just one more year and then you’ll be happy, but you’re crying, you’re crying now.”

Musically the song is in the key of “D”, but one of my favourite parts is the pre-chorus where it shifts to a Dm7 and Am.  Shifting from a major to a minor 7th can create a powerful emotional impact:

Here is the first pre-chorus:

Dm7                              Am    

  You used to think that it was so easy

Dm7                            Am         

  You used to say that it was so easy

     C             G              D    * 

But you’re tryin, you’re tryin’ now

Dm7                            Am              

  Another year and then you’d be happy

Dm7                                  Am           

  Just one more year and then you’d be happy

     C               G             A     Dm7/G         

But you’re cryin’, you’re cryin’ now 

Gerry Rafferty died last January (2011), apparently of multi-organ failure after years of alcohol abuse.  It brought on a surge of new interest in his songs, but in the years leading up to his death he appeared to spiral deeper and deeper into his dark place.  It’s too bad that it often takes an artist or songwriter’s death to bring the attention that they so desire in life.  Rafferty had that attention during the late 70’s and although he released a number of albums since, none of them achieved the success that City to City did.

Listen to Baker Street in the video below.

~ IJ