# 1978 song "Baker Street" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836 "2015-08-03T01:05:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/21 "2015-08-03T08:12:46Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Am I the only one who thought it was about Sherlock Holmes? Probably. > [@bmoak](#): > > Am I the only one who thought for years that the title of the song was “You’re Crying Now”? Perhaps. > [@Mornac](#): > > Am I the only one who thought for years that it was a George Harrison number? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![pythonzzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@pythonzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pythonzzz)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/22 "2015-08-03T08:52:36Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Am I the only one who thought it was about Sherlock Holmes? Here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_F0x5NAV6Gk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F0x5NAV6Gk) ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/23 "2015-08-03T12:10:17Z")
I _liked_ “Baker Street” from the first time I heard it, but never thought of it as an outstanding song, just a nice one. And sure, the sax part is nice, but just _nice_, nothing to get excited about. So coming across discussions here at the Dope the past couple of years, and realizing that there are people who are downright _passionate_ about this pleasant little song, has really been kind of mindboggling. It’s like hearing about people saying they’ve found the world’s best grape jelly or Colby cheese. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/24 "2015-08-03T12:23:08Z")
_Baker Street_ remains one of my all time favorites and **Cooking with Gas** has me cracking up. Sherlock Holmes indeed 😛 Although, on second thought I can sort of see how one might come to that conclusion. Not long ago I started a thread about evocative songs and this was one I used as an example. It’s just the kind of song that (for me) really stirs the imagination. Shame on you, **silenus** ; between this and your dissing of Lucy I’m beginning to think you’re cranky or something 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/25 "2015-08-03T13:59:12Z")
Slight hijack - another GR tune that deserves more recognition: [Gerry Rafferty - “Get It Right Next Time”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXW-sL5gzHQ) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/26 "2015-08-03T14:13:10Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I’m probably more familiar with the Foo Fighters version at this point. I just read an article calling it obscure, which is odd for something I’ve heard on the radio many times since the late 90s. I think I’ve only heard the original version once or twice. I love the Foo Fighters cover, but I only heard it on the radio once or twice too. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/27 "2015-08-03T14:28:25Z")
> [@pythonzzz](#): > > Here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_F0x5NAV6Gk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F0x5NAV6Gk) I am vindicated! > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > It’s one of the great songs of the era. And I mean the rock era. > > What’s so funny about it? I didn’t say there was anything funny about it. I just thought any song called Baker Street must be about 221b. But I much later found out that the inspiration for the song had nothing to do with mystery fiction but rather a real person at a real address on the real Baker Street. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/28 "2015-08-03T15:00:20Z")
I didn’t realize the Foo Fighters did a cover of it. I’ll have to check it out. I like the music quite a bit, including of course the sax intro, but more than that I find the lyrics really evocative. Sure, it may not be the most subtle or groundbreaking of songs, but I like its description of the “city desert” that’s “got no soul”, and the lost causes there who get by on booze and one-night stands. Even though in the end you’re “going home”, it feels like you’re giving up on whatever it was you thought you’d accomplish when you thought the city “held everything”. You’ve escaped the fate of the poor bastard on Baker Street who’ll never realize his dream of “buying some land” and who’ll “never stop moving”, but it’s doesn’t strike me as a very hopeful ending. Your dreams crushed, you’ve cashed in whatever remains of your chips and you’re starting over again. I think it gets gloomier for me the older I get. Admitting defeat in the big city and starting over at home when you’re 22, OK. When you’re 42, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/29 "2015-08-03T15:10:20Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > So coming across discussions here at the Dope the past couple of years, and realizing that there are people who are downright _passionate_ about this pleasant little song, has really been kind of mindboggling. It’s like hearing about people saying they’ve found the world’s best grape jelly or Colby cheese. I’m sure we feel the same way about some of the songs you’re passionate about. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/30 "2015-08-03T15:46:38Z")
As long as we’re talking about this great song, kudos to the late [Raphael Ravenscroft](http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-devon-29700432), for playing that killer sax break. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/31 "2015-08-03T16:23:05Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I _liked_ “Baker Street” from the first time I heard it, but never thought of it as an outstanding song, just a nice one. And sure, the sax part is nice, but just _nice_, nothing to get excited about. > > So coming across discussions here at the Dope the past couple of years, and realizing that there are people who are downright _passionate_ about this pleasant little song, has really been kind of mindboggling. It’s like hearing about people saying they’ve found the world’s best grape jelly or Colby cheese. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I’m sure we feel the same way about some of the songs you’re passionate about. I agree. Why come on this thread where the overwhelming direction is in appreciation for the song and, basically, say “I can’t understand why anyone likes this mediocre song?”. Isn’t that a little threadshitty? You too, silenus!!! ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/32 "2015-08-03T16:25:30Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > I like the music quite a bit, including of course the sax intro, but more than that I find the lyrics really evocative. Sure, it may not be the most subtle or groundbreaking of songs, but I like its description of the “city desert” that’s “got no soul”, and the lost causes there who get by on booze and one-night stands. Even though in the end you’re “going home”, it feels like you’re giving up on whatever it was you thought you’d accomplish when you thought the city “held everything”. You’ve escaped the fate of the poor bastard on Baker Street who’ll never realize his dream of “buying some land” and who’ll “never stop moving”, but it’s doesn’t strike me as a very hopeful ending. Your dreams crushed, you’ve cashed in whatever remains of your chips and you’re starting over again. The song title comes from the fact that Rafferty had crashed at a friend’s flat on Baker Street during his many trips to London due to the protracted litigation surrounding the breakup of Stealers Wheel, during which he was unable to release any new material due to the band’s contract obligations that were still in effect pending it dissolution. My understanding is that the “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.” portion of the song refers to how Rafferty used to feel on top of the world when in London, having recorded the hit _Stuck in the Middle with You_ at Apple Records and living the rock star’s life that went along with it, but now associated the same city with a very difficult and stressful period of his life. The last verse reflects his relief and optimism from finally resolving his legal strife, and this optimism was awesomely fulfilled when the track ended up becoming one of the most popular and influential songs in the history of rock music. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/33 "2015-08-03T16:37:15Z")
Yeah, I just recently read the backstory, which is pretty interesting. But what the song means to me and what it means to Rafferty don’t necessarily have to be the same. 🙂 I think he wisely left out the details that would have tied it too closely to his own personal issues, letting the song be a more universal expression of urban alienation. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/34 "2015-08-03T16:38:39Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > I agree. Why come on this thread where the overwhelming direction is in appreciation for the song and, basically, say “I can’t understand why anyone likes this mediocre song?”. Isn’t that a little threadshitty? > > You too, silenus!!! Not in the least. If the OP had started a thread about how “great” the song was, then contrary opinions might be considered thread shitting. But the OP _didn’t_. In fact, the OP made zero point as to the relative merits (or lack thereof) of the song, and merely posted an observation and/or question about the title reference. Therefore any subsequent evaluation is just as valid and relevant as any other. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/35 "2015-08-03T16:53:14Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Yeah, I just recently read the backstory, which is pretty interesting. But what the song means to me and what it means to Rafferty don’t necessarily have to be the same. 🙂 I think he wisely left out the details that would have tied it too closely to his own personal issues, letting the song be a more universal expression of urban alienation. Good point! Oddly enough, I somehow got the song in my head a few days ago, downloaded it, and have been listening to it _ad nauseam_ ever since. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/36 "2015-08-03T16:53:53Z")
Gerry Rafferty was a major talent but also a major drinker. His drinking kept him from accomplishing all that he could have. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/37 "2015-08-03T16:58:06Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Not in the least. If the OP had started a thread about how “great” the song was, then contrary opinions might be considered thread shitting. But the OP _didn’t_. In fact, the OP made zero point as to the relative merits (or lack thereof) of the song, and merely posted an observation and/or question about the title reference. Therefore any subsequent evaluation is just as valid and relevant as any other. Eh, fair point, I guess. :dubious: Still, don’t you be dissing Baker Street no more. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/38 "2015-08-03T17:00:51Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Eh, fair point, I guess. :dubious: > > Still, don’t you be dissing Baker Street no more. 😃 It still was a weird post. There’s not a song in the universe for which that isn’t true. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/39 "2015-08-03T17:06:42Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Eh, fair point, I guess. :dubious: > > Still, don’t you be dissing Baker Street no more. 😃 Can I still refer to “We Built This City” as a war crime? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836/40 "2015-08-03T17:08:39Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I’m still pissed off that “Baker Street” sat at the #2 spot on the Top 40 for six weeks while that fucking “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb kept a stranglehold on #1. I guess it was all those 11-14 year old girls buying copy after copy of the single and flooding radio station request lines with call after call. However, I do feel some satisfaction in the fact you now don’t even hear “Shadow Dancing” on oldies stations while “Baker Street” still gets airplay. Hey, watch it! I was in that age range myself. Never was a big Andy Gibb fan, though. Wasn’t old enough to appreciate a hairy chest. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1978-song-baker-street/726836.md?page=3)