We tend to think of the yacht rock phenomenon in terms of the American artists who have carved out that special niche among music fans. But the Scotsman Gerry Rafferty stands tall with a pair of monumentally smooth smashes from 1978, including “Baker Street” and “Right Down the Line,” the song we’re spotlighting here.
What is “Right Down the Line” about? What inspired it? And why did Rafferty have such an extended stretch of time to work on it and other songs from his 1978 hit album City to City? Here is the story behind this yacht rock classic and the artist who put it together.
Rafferty’s Journey
Gerry Rafferty found a little bit of early success when he joined a band called The Humblebums, which included comedian Billy Connolly, before he ditched music for the stage and screen. (If you haven’t heard of them, check out the baroque pop beauty “Her Father Didn’t Like Me Anyway,” which will give you an idea of Rafferty’s early songwriting chops.)
Rafferty then released a solo album before joining up with a childhood friend from Scotland named Joe Egan to form the band Stealers Wheel. At an industry party celebrating the band’s signing, Rafferty found himself trapped at a dinner table between a couple of boring executives, which inspired the song “Stuck in the Middle with You.”
That 1973 smash hit seemed like a harbinger of a big career for the band. But even a couple of minor follow-up hits couldn’t convince Rafferty, who was somewhat restless when it came to his career, there was much future in the band. He left to go solo again, but things didn’t go as smoothly as he had hoped.
A Belated Solo Album
Rafferty had hoped to jump back into his solo career once Stealers Wheel ended in 1975. But his management thought otherwise, as they felt he was breaking his contract. As legal proceedings played out, he was essentially unable to release any music for three years.
Instead of worrying about the stunted momentum, Rafferty worked hard on crafting what would be his masterpiece album, City to City. By the time he was allowed to release the record in 1978, he had cultivated a silky smooth soft-rock sound, albeit one that included sneakily deep lyrical themes. “Baker Street” turned into a runaway hit, opening the door for the next single, “Right Down the Line.”
Featuring the sleek guitar lines of Hugh Burns, “Right Down the Line” was essentially a love song to Rafferty’s wife, who had stuck with him through all the ups and downs of his career. It went to No. 12 on the Billboard charts, and he enjoyed as fruitful a shelf life as “Baker Street.” (Bonnie Raitt did a knockout cover of “Right Down the Line” in 2012.)
What is “Right Down the Line” About?
You know I need your love, Gerry Rafferty sings at the beginning of “Right Down the Line.” You’ve got that hold over me. That attraction clearly turned into something deeper for the narrator. When I wanted you to share my life / I had no doubt in my mind, he explains.
In the second verse, Rafferty hints at some of the psychic damage his career has done to him, and how his wife knows this pain: Only you can see / The changes that I’ve been through / Have left a mark on me. After comparing her constancy to the Northern Star, Rafferty testifies in the bridge how important it is that she knows all this: I just want to say this is my way / Of telling you everything / I’ve never said before.
He continues singing her praises, boiling it down in the chorus: And it was you, woman / Right down the line. Gerry Rafferty’s discomfort with the limelight contributed to him never again rising to the heights of City to City. But what a peak that album was, aided by the romantic excellence of “Right Down the Line.”
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Photo by Eugene Adebari/Shutterstock
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