In 1972, Rafferty and his old school friend Joe Egan formed the outfit Stealers Wheel, a group that proved beset by legal wranglings yet brimming with talent. They had a huge hit with "Stuck in the Middle With You", a pop/rock track deliberately aping the style of Bob Dylan that has had massive airplay for decades. That song also was immortalized in the infamous torture scene in the motion picture 'Reservoir Dogs', the film's soundtrack introducing the group to a new generation. Despite their knack for The Beatles-like melodic rock, Stealers Wheel disbanded in 1975.
Rafferty spent quite a while in a sort of forced legal limbo before he could record again, spending his time wisely as he developed his sound. In 1978, Rafferty cut a solo album, 'City to City', which would catapult him right into international stardom. Earning praise from many music critics, the release included the song with which he remains most associated: "Baker Street". Known for its gripping lyrics and haunting saxophone solo by Raphael Ravenscroft, the single reached #3 in the U.K. and #2 in the U.S. The album itself also received a boost as another single, "Right Down the Line", picked up major attention.
"Baker Street" has remained a mainstay of radio airplay for decades and popped up several times in popular culture, an example being its placement in the 'Good Will Hunting' soundtrack. Notable cover versions include a release by Undercover that also made the Top 3 in the U.K .singles chart in 1992. American rockers Foo Fighters also made their own version, swapping the saxophone solo for a guitar solo.
His next album, Night Owl, also did well, and the title track was a UK No. 5 hit in 1979. The follow-up single "Get It Right Next Time", made the UK Top 40.
Subsequent albums, such as Snakes and Ladders (1980), Sleepwalking (1982), and North and South (1988) all fared less well, due partly to Rafferty's general reluctance to perform live. "Don't Give Up On Me", from his 1992 collection On A Wing and a Prayer, is a much-featured oldie on BBC Radio 2. In 2021, a posthumous album, Rest In Blue, was released to positive reception.
DISCOGRAPHY
With the Humblebums
First Collection of Merry Melodies (1969)
The New Humblebums (1969)
Open Up The Door (1970)
With Stealers Wheel
Stealers Wheel (1973)
Ferguslie Park (1974)
Right Or Wrong (1975)
Solo
Can I Have My Money Back? (1971)
City To City (1978)
Night Owl (1979)
Snakes And Ladders (1980)
Sleepwalking (1981)
North And South (1988)
On A Wing And A Prayer (1992)
Over My Head (1994)
Another World (2000)
Rest In Blue (2021)
La Fenêtre
Gerry Rafferty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lui la vu la pemier fois
Elle la vu a la fenetre
Reveiller de leurs sommeil
Ils sont amour
Main en la main toujours
Spirit touchantes pas d'etre separe
Tous les 'istant des les jours
Ils ont verra autre monde
Ils ont ouvert la fenetre
El a attendue touchet ca coeur
Ils ferme la fenetre
El etait ces avinir
Ils raple lacrymal, et joi de vie
C'est sentir en essence
Commes des enfants
Un autre monde
Dans la coeur de la rond
Dans la fenetre de sagesse
Pardon my French!
Look through the window
You can see another world
Clean the window
And see reality.
Through the window
You can see it for the first time
She sees it in the window
Waking up from their sleep.
They are in love
Always hand in hand
Spirits touching, inseparable
They will recall every moment of their days
They will see another world there.
They opened the window
Waiting touched the heart
They close the window
It was their future.
They remember tears and the joy of life
It is to feel the basic reality
Like the children
Of another world
In the heart of the circle (dance)
In the window of wisdom.
The Gerry Rafferty song La Fenêtre brings to light the beauty of seeing the world through a window. The song explores the idea that the window represents another world, a world that we can see and experience from afar but cannot physically touch. The lyrics suggest that this world behind the window is one of love, joy, and sadness, and that we can observe it from a distance but cannot necessarily enter it. This metaphorical glass barrier between reality and the ideal world is seen as a representation of the human experience of longing for what we cannot have.
The song also delves into the theme of love and companionship. It portrays a couple who are deeply in love, holding hands and sharing touching moments, but are separated by the window. Despite being unable to physically touch each other, the couple cherishes their time together and dreams of a future where they can be together without any barriers. The window in this case can be seen as a symbol of their relationship, which is strong and unbreakable despite the physical distance between them.
Overall, La Fenêtre is a romantic and poetic song that leaves us with a feeling of nostalgia and hope. It encourages us to look beyond our immediate reality and remain driven by our dreams and aspirations to attain true love.
Line by Line Meaning
A travers la fenetre
Look through the window
Lui la vu la pemier fois
You can see it for the first time
Elle la vu a la fenetre
She sees it in the window
Reveiller de leurs sommeil
Waking up from their sleep
Ils sont amour
They are in love
Main en la main toujours
Always hand in hand
Spirit touchantes pas d'etre separe
Spirits touching, inseparable
Ils c'est rappellerons
They will recall every moment of their days
Tous les 'istant des les jours
They will see another world there
Ils ont verra autre monde
They opened the window
El a attendue touchet ca coeur
Waiting touched the heart
Ils ferme la fenetre
They close the window
El etait ces avinir
It was their future
Ils raple lacrymal, et joi de vie
They remember tears and the joy of life
C'est sentir en essence
It is to feel the basic reality
Commes des enfants
Like the children
Un autre monde
Of another world
Dans la coeur de la rond
In the heart of the circle (dance)
Dans la fenetre de sagesse
In the window of wisdom
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thierrys4126
Regardez vers la fenêtre
Pour voir un autre monde
Nettoyer la fenêtre
Et voir la réalité
Attraper la fenêtre
Lui l'a vue la première fois
Elle l'a vu à la fenêtre
Réveillés de leurs sommeils
(Réveiller) Ils sont amour
Main dans la main toujours
Il est touchant, peut être séparés
(Séparés) Ils se rappelleront
Tout l'existant dès le jour
Ils vont vers un autre monde
Ils ont ouvert la fenêtre
Elle attendue, touché son coeur
Il fermait la fenêtre
Elle est à ses avenirs
(Réveiller) Ils sont amour
Main dans la main toujours
il est touchant, peut être séparés
(Sépares) Ils se rappelleront
Tout l'existant dès le jour
Ils vont vers un autre monde
Vers la fenêtre
Pour voir un autre monde
Nettoyer la fenêtre
Et voir la réalité
Toujours
Toujours
La fenêtre
La fenêtre
THIS IS PRETTY CLOSE I THINK
@thierrys4126
I'm French and yet I haven't got a clue what he's talking about but I love Gerry Rafferty's voice. Thanks for posting.
@SmallPersonRoo
Clearly a lot of stuff is wrong but loosely translated, it's
Through the window
He saw it for the first time
She saw him at the window
Awaken from their sleep
they are love
Always hand in hand
Spirit touching not to be separated
They will call back
every day
They saw another world
They opened the window
She waited, touch her heart
They close the window
He was these avinir
They rape lachrymal, and joy of life
It is to feel in essence
like children
Another world
In the heart of the circle
In the window of wisdom
@thierrys4126
I don't think so. Please see my transcription.
@alanmunro9388
Many thanks for uploading this song. It's one of my favourites. I spent some time in France and loved speaking the language. I heard Gerry also spent a lot of time there too. It reminds me of my time there and I think Gerry sings great in another language. Cafe Le Cabotin on his album Snakes and Ladders conjurs the same sensations. But when it's in French the nuance is even stronger. I didn't know it wasn't on later editions of Another World. I prefer the original "keep it to yourself" from his earlier days so you are doing the world a great service. When else do you hear scots pop stars sing (well) in French?
@remelach5749
It s the original in 2000 keep it to yourself is in LP of 2003 in new version