I had an epiphany today, on the way home from work. I realized that Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty is the best song ever written. If I could write a song like this, I’d die a happy man. It’s prefect in every way, and I mean that without the slightest sense of irony. (The song Stuck in the Middle with You, which Rafferty performed with Stealers Wheel, is probably in my top 100.)
Baker died earlier this year, at the age of 63, after a lifelong battle with alcoholism.
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It’s all about the sax, baby.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGUlvArcRCM&feature=related
Shameless, barely related plug:
August 6 & 7 in Ypsilanti
33 Musical Acts
16 Visual Artists
6 Stages
4 Venues
2 Days
1 Amazing Festival
The 2011 Michigan Roots Jamboree
http://www.rootsjamboree.com
Also, I second GQ.
I fucking hate that sax solo.
It’s a great song, but “best song ever” is a big claim.
Perhaps if you were willing to narrow the category to “Best song written about a journey that ends in disillusionment, features a sax, includes references to both urban and rural settings, and was written by a pale male native of the British Isles” I’d be on board. Then, it’s a real contender in what remainsa pretty strong and crowded field.
And I’m apparently sleep- blogging. Or I’m just dumb, which is a distinct possibility. The Jamboree was August 6 & 7 last year. This year its August 5 & 6. All the other stuff is right. So I’ll do it again:
August 5 & 6 in Ypsilanti
33 Musical Acts
16 Visual Artists
6 Stages
4 Venues
2 Days
1 Amazing Festival
The 2011 Michigan Roots Jamboree
http://www.rootsjamboree.com
There. That’s better.
The Foo Fighters did it first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO1qcWa6blQ
The sax is good, but I think it’s something else that makes the song great. There’s a beautiful sadness about it.
Alcoholics write the best songs.
And I don’t mean that to be funny.
They really do.
For reasons I can’t explain, the fact that the Foo Fighters changed the lyric from “booze” to “crack” pissed me off. It could be because I can’t stand Dave Grohl or because it just seemed unnecessary. I don’t really know.
Thanks for the ear worm, Mark. Will take a while to get this marginally good song out of my head. Please don’t offer up any ToTo songs or Al Stewart”s ‘Year of the the Cat’ on this site- ever – or I will have to track you down at the Corner Brewery and beat the living shit out of your unshaven, sweaty, and pock marked skull (based on your most recent portrait that greets me each morning). To get this and all other ear worms out of my head, I will do what i always do – sit in my living room this evening, alone, listening to Billie Holiday record while drinking vodka. What the fuck does -“Hold the line, love isn’t always on time” mean anyway?
Tommy, if you like Billie Holiday and vodka, should really check this out, man. I think you’d really like it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM7LR46zrQU
From Wikipedia, on the irony of his success with Baker Street.
Eel – you bastard! May have to play Strange Fruit twice now. I honestly thought the link was to some Lady Day performance. Always loved the Peter Lorre reference at the beginning. Thanks for the extended piano intro too! Just to let you know, I did watch Time Passages as I am a sucker for shitty 70s ballads. I draw the line at Dream Weav-aaaa, however.
Mark should start a thread on shittiest Ballads from the 70s. ‘Beth’ would be my #1.
Hey Mark………you are wrong again! Here is the best song ever!
Do you know any of these azzholes on this video? This is my “FAV-OR-ITE” song………ever!
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-211744
Sorry, Dude. I couldn’t help myself. For what it’s worth, though, I’m a huge Billie Holiday fan. Have you see the footage that was recently released by the Library of Congress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbtO_Ayjw0M
Eel – thanks for the afternoon delight (don’t do it – because if you do, I will hit that link faster than Mark Maynard can shave his balls)
From The Guardian:
Doesn’t sound so much like he “struggled ” with his alcoholism, but rather that it ruined his life and relationships, and ultimately killed him.
Hey Tater! Congrats for your brave attempt to fledge out their on you own with a relevant comment.
Thing is, Jimmy Buffet loves Obama.
Yes, you’re so vain, and yes, that song is about you. Still your favorite?
Maybe it’s a little soon to leave the nest.
Al Stewart, eh?
How many songs have Peter Lorre and patchouli? He should get extra points just for that.
Hey, Timmy, is this one in the running?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swQi4CAzmrA
Or are paranoia and disillusionment not the same thing?
Vern: I think the sax solo certainly qualifies, and I’m on the fence with paranoia vs. disillusionment as they’re often, though not always, bedfellows. But I think it misses on British Isles (not colonies … that opens a whole nother can) and inclusion of urban and rural imagery.
Unless we adhere strictly to the rules, we’re on a slippery slope to the abyss.
What I’d like to suggest is we all show a little respect and every time that Tater posts, somebody thanks him by linking to his favorite song.
It took me a couple days, but I think I figured this post out. You heard “Baker Street” somewhere recently, and spent the next several days with that sax solo playing on endless loop in your head. And you thought “if this has to be in my head, why shouldn’t be in everyone’s?!”
I’ve come to this conclusion after pressing play on the video three days ago. That sax solo has been on endless loop in my head ever since. Today, I started trying to implant it into the heads of others. That sax solo is like a siren song. Its going to get us all.
Timmy, I could have sworn that Colin “The Man at Work” Haye was a Briton of the Scottish persuasion. Like all good Australians, he was something else first.
I think this one’s higher on my list. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRqI5R6L7ow
I was driving with my Dad on a trip once, and this song was playing on the radio. Never being one who was big on conversation, he turned to me towards the end and said, “now that’s a great song”. I Love it…
This song is best on AM.
I did not know he had died. But that song has long been a favorite of mine, too. Had it on a 45.
53 and every time I listen to this, it sends chills up my spine! I agree, it is number 1! I vote dust in the wind by Kansas as 2!
For your consideration.
https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/1166060556807102464?s=21
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[…] year ago last week, I went out on a limb and declared Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street to be the best song ever written. It was a courageous stand, and I took a lot of heat for it, but it was the right thing to […]