Talk:Stuck in the Middle with You

Cleanup?
Anyone else bothered by the fact that this article consists of three sentences about the song itself, followed by a dozen paragraphs of pop culture trivia? I'm not suggesting trivia, pop culture, or "cultural references" have no place here -- but oughtn't an encyclopedia article have a bit more focus? As it stands, there's more info here about the episode of Crank Yankers that mentioned the song than there is about the song itself. The only source or external reference mentioned is a link to a video clip of the song's admittedly famous appearance in a 1992 film.

Wikipedia has some outstanding encyclopedia articles about songs. For example, most of the category of "Beatles Songs" is well-written, documented, and not overburdened with trivia. Check out a few: Across the Universe, Lady Madonna, Hey Jude, or Maxwell's Silver Hammer are well-written articles about the songs themselves -- not ad infinitum lists of TV shows and movies that happened to have played the song once. 66.17.118.195 15:56, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

It's nothing to do with girlfriends. It's all about being stuck in a wheelchair. What fucking idiot wrote that entry?

(Not a bad attempt at including something more substantial. But hey, how about signing your contributions?) Your interpretation gets some support, early on:
 * I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair
 * And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs

...but that's only the third and fourth lines. The song--taken as a whole--is a wry critique of some of the less-appealing qualities associated with hippie subculture. For example choruses in which the narrator complains of family or (alternately) friends begging for favors. Or his puzzlement that anyone would think it's "cool to want to sleep on the floor".drone5 (talk) 06:29, 31 July 2010 (UTC)

Not that it's remotely citeable but I've always interpreted those lines as him (sudenally) being aware of how much he's been drinking - scared when he tries to get up to leave he'll be too legless to stand and make it downstairs in one piece. 109.224.137.121 (talk) 22:45, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

I'm adding in the Reservoir Dogs piece. Don't get me wrong, I agree that it shouldn't turn into a list of every time it's played, which is why I'm not creating a new section. However, to deny that this song is now tied to the movie is to deny a large part of both the song's and Rafferty's own continued success, even now beyond his death. I'm adding a few sources to defend this addition to the article and hope it isn't wiped by an over-eager fellow editor. 86.161.135.132 (talk) 00:17, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

From VfD:
Just the lyrics and a couple links. The uncontested opinion at What's in, what's out is that lyrics do not belong on Wikipedia. Livajo 05:15, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * If I remember correctly, there was a song called "Stuck in the Middle With You", that for a time, had some kitch value, appeared in a few commercials; but this doesn't seem to be that song. Rhymeless 05:40, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Comment: Well, actually, I'm pretty sure that this was the one - it soared to cult popularity w/ Reservoir Dogs, among others. No vote, because I'm insufficiently versed in WP song practice. Lacrimosus 06:41, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Redirect and merge encyclopedic information (not the lyrics) to Stealers Wheel. Song still gets lots of airplay in Aust. Andrewa 09:55, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete as copyvio. Ambi 10:49, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete: Whenever you see "lyrics reprinted with permission of" on a record, and it's the band's own record, that should tell you something. The song was a hit, btw, back in the day.  Geogre 12:31, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Info's already at Stealers Wheel (tho' not much else). (Gets classic rock airplay in the US still, as well, but...) Redir or delete. Niteowlneils 12:33, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Comment: Some of the above votes seem to be saying the article should be deleted (rather than redirected) because the voters don't like this type of music, or this particular song. I preach caution here. If so many have an opinion on it, surely it's encyclopedic? Many will search on this title not knowing the band IMO, so the redir is a good one if the song itself doesn't justify an article. The band article is a stub, certainly, no details of members yet, but it's a reasonable stub and should grow. No change of vote. Andrewa 17:14, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * I love the song. Stealers Wheel was a one-hit wonder, however.  There were quite a few early 70's rock bands that made very memorable songs and then vanished (Brownsville Station, David Essex, Sugarloaf, Paper Lace, Terry Jacks).  The problem with a redirect is that it implies that the band is of encyclopedic content.  I'm not sure they are in a general encyclopedia.  The redirect might be to Pulp Fiction or List of top 10 records 1970's or something like that.  Geogre 18:17, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Redirect to Stealers Wheel. No useful information which isn't already on that article.  Someone out there probably knows more about Stealers Wheel than is on the article right now.  AMG has some decent info, so they're hardly unnotable.  David Essex a one-hit wonder?  Pah! The User Formerly Known As 82.6.10.139 22:20, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete copyvio and possibly start over. -- Cyrius|✎ 01:47, 25 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete as copyvio and recreate as redirect. Keep. -Sean Curtin 00:02, Aug 29, 2004 (UTC)
 * The original page has been reworked as a stub without the copyright violations. In my view, the history of the song outside of Stealers Wheel makes it encyclopedic. I hope to contribute more over the weekend when I have time. Capitalistroadster 07:31, 25 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * I'm still not sure it's encyclopedic enuf to need to be its own article instead of a redir to the info merged into the Stealers Wheel article, but I changed it from two out-of-the-blue bullet points to an actual stub article. I agree that, if it is kept as is, or as a redir, it ought to be deleted, and the stub or redir pasted in fresh. Oh, and I restored the VFD tag until the voting's resolved. Niteowlneils 01:15, 26 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Comment: Current policy is to keep the history. On request a developer can delete the offending version(s). This has been discussed endlessly already. No change of vote. Andrewa 03:19, 26 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep and cleanup. List on copyvios in page history if you care about the page history copyvio, although such use is probably fair use.  Had you properly listed this on copyright problems instead of here we probably wouldn't have had this problem in the first place. anthony (see warning) 13:59, 28 Aug 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep. Gamaliel [[Image:Cubaflag15.gif]] 01:34, 29 Aug 2004 (UTC)

end moved discussion

Who thinks this song is Dylan? You'd have to be a complete idiot to think this is a Dylan song.

How can the Beatles have covered this at "one of their performances in Texas" when they stopped performing live almost a decade before this song was written? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.159.25.77 (talk) 10:46, 16 May 2008 (UTC)

Note The Guess Who Cover? 70.29.82.38 (talk) 04:23, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Bob Dylan myth
Perhaps it is worthwhile to mention it is commonly incorrectly attributed to Bob Dylan. Plus Grateful Dead...

I don't think he even did a cover... though some people claim he did. Not sure what's true. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.65.22.208 (talk) 05:42, 19 March 2010 (UTC)


 * That's because according to Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan, they only wrote the song as a pastiche of Bob Dylan songs. They were dumbfounded when it became a hit.  - Lisa (talk - contribs) 09:44, 17 February 2017 (UTC)

Correct title?
I have never seen the title of this song given as it is here; I've always seen it as "Stuck In The Middle With You". (Or "Stuck in the Middle with You".) Is there any reason not to change the title of the article to add the extra two words? Brettalan (talk) 03:48, 5 January 2011 (UTC)


 * I agree, but it will need an admin to move it. So...


 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the proposal was page moved. Andrewa (talk) 23:58, 13 January 2011 (UTC)

Stuck in the Middle → Stuck in the Middle With You — Multiple reliable sources give the correct title of the original Stealers Wheel single as "Stuck in the Middle With You", including (for example) both this -  and this -  - as well as this sleeve image. The later hit version by Louise also used the longer title -. --Ghmyrtle (talk) 13:54, 5 January 2011 (UTC)


 * British Hit Singles & Albums - generally regarded as the bible of British pop music, cites "Stuck In The Middle With You". Anyone got anything better ? - Derek R Bullamore (talk) 00:18, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

I added a source to back up the shortened title. As in not that it's the official title, but merely that it IS called that title by a lot of people and companies in the music industry. Amazon (must be in the top 10 digital music sellers, surely?) has it up as "Stuck in the Middle" on their website, so to at least mention the shortened-but-unofficial is necessary. 86.161.135.132 (talk) 17:25, 6 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Support Correct title.  Should Stuck in the Middle (Clea song) also be moved to Stuck in the Middle?.  Skinsmoke (talk) 05:41, 12 January 2011 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Need admin to revert a vandal move

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: page moved. Vegaswikian (talk) 18:59, 22 January 2011 (UTC)

Stuck in the Middle ith You → Stuck in the Middle With You — User Unreal7 moved the article, removing the "W" from the title. The redirect page for the correct title has subsequently been edited, so it appears only an admin can revert the change now. LarryJeff (talk) 22:52, 21 January 2011 (UTC)


 * Support The word "with" should also have a lower-case "w". The Celestial City (talk) 00:23, 22 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Support Obviously. If guidance says "with" should be lower case, that's obviously fine as well.  Come on somebody, this is just a question of reverting vandalism....    Ghmyrtle (talk) 09:13, 22 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Support Move to Stuck in the Middle with You.  Don't think it was vandalism though.  Looks like a typo, and that the mover intended to move to a lower-case with.  Skinsmoke (talk) 10:01, 22 January 2011 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Gerry Rafferty interview about the song & it's use in Reservoir Dogs on special edition dvd
On at least one of the UK DVD editions of Reservoir Dogs (it's on the "LIMITED 2-DISC COLLECTOR'S EDITION" that was sold in a steelbookesque packaging that looks like a fuel can, don't know if it's on the normal 2-disc edition or blu-rays or US versions) there's an audio interview with Gerry Rafferty hidden under the K-billy super sounds of the 70s menu on disc 2. He talks about writing the song & the idea behind it, it getting used in the film and reaction - I'd have to listen to it again but iirc he agreed by mistake not realising what sort of film it was and says he doesn't like violent movies. 109.224.137.121 (talk) 22:59, 15 July 2013 (UTC)

Cover versions
People are promoting themselves in this section, advertising, etc. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.185.94.46 (talk) 15:07, 26 November 2020 (UTC)

Removed because
 * List items were either unreferenced or by bands that did not have their own WP page (see Music List Manual of Style).
 * None of the covers were notable:
 * They did not add to or change anything about the original song significantly.
 * They were not performed in an unusual or notable manner.


 * Adding a cover to a music article without a compelling, notable reason is a WP:IINFO.

Many (most?) garage bands can make covers of popular songs. This doesn't warrant space in an article in and of itself. &mdash; Safety Cap (talk) 16:33, 7 April 2014 (UTC)

Define notable
 * commercial success
 * someone who is not known as a singer performing the track
 * a performance on a special occasion

who are you to define notable?! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.75.197.234 (talk) 07:26, 10 May 2016 (UTC)

Lead Vocal
The video seems to show Egan singing the lead vocal, but the article says Rafferty sings the lead vocal. Would it be a mistake to construct a personnel section from the video?CountMacula (talk) 20:56, 23 September 2014 (UTC)

Music Video
In the article, the person sitting in the middle of all of the clown actors is incorrectly credited as Gerry Rafferty. It's very clearly Joe Egan that's in those scenes. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.234.206.77 (talk) 07:11, 8 July 2015 (UTC)