“Right Down The Line” has a much different sound than “Bakers Street” despite it being the next single released by Rafferty. “Right Down The Line” is a more mellow song that describes how Gerry feels about his lover (at the time of the release of this song, Gerry was married to his wife Carla Ventilla). Gerry has suffered from alcoholism for most of his life, and in this song he is praising his lover for helping him through all the bad times in his life, saying she is the only one he can “lean on”.
This song may draw inspiration from Paul McCartneys' “Maybe I’m Amazed,” considering they both deal with the same subjects.
Right Down The Line
Gerry Rafferty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got that hold over me
Long as I've got your love
You know that I'll never leave
When I wanted you to share my life
I had no doubt in my mind
And it's been you, woman
Right down the line
I know how much I lean on you
Only you can see
The changes that I've been through
Have left a mark on me
You've been as constant as a Northern Star
The brightest light that shines
It's been you, woman
Right down the line
I just want to say this is my way
Of tellin' you everything
I could never say before
Yeah, this is my way of tellin' you
That every day I'm lovin' you so much more
'Cause you believed in me through my darkest night
Put somethin' better inside of me
You brought me into the light
Threw away all those crazy dreams
I put them all behind
And it was you, woman
Right down the line
I just want to say this is my way
Of tellin' you everything
I could never say before
Yeah, this is my way of tellin' you
That every day I'm lovin' you so much more
If I should doubt myself
If I'm losing ground
I won't turn to someone else
They'd only let me down
When I wanted you to share my life
I had no doubt in my mind
And it's been you, woman
Right down the line
"Right Down The Line" is a love song by Gerry Rafferty that expresses his deep love and gratitude for his partner. The song begins by stating that he needs his partner's love and that she has a hold on him. Rafferty is confident that as long as his partner stays in love with him, he will never leave her. The singer then reminisces on the early days of their relationship, where he never had any doubt that he wanted her to be a part of his life. Rafferty describes his partner as a constant presence in his life, like a Northern Star, and acknowledges that she has seen him through difficult times and has helped him become a better person.
In the chorus, he declares that this song is his way of expressing his love and appreciation to her for everything she has done for him. He also confesses that he loves her more with each passing day. Rafferty makes it clear that he will never look for comfort in someone else as he knows that his partner is the only one who can truly support him through thick and thin. He concludes by reiterating that he has always been sure about his love for her, and it is her who has been there 'right down the line.'
Line by Line Meaning
You know I need your love
I depend on your love and can't live without you
You've got that hold over me
You have a strong influence on me and I am powerless without you
Long as I've got your love
As long as you love me, I will stick around
You know that I'll never leave
I am completely committed to you and will never abandon you
When I wanted you to share my life
When I desired you to be a part of my life
I had no doubt in my mind
I was absolutely certain that you were the one for me
And it's been you, woman
You've always been the one
I know how much I lean on you
I am aware of how much I rely on you
Only you can see
You are the only one who truly understands me
The changes that I've been through
The transitions that I have undergone
Have left a mark on me
Have impacted me significantly
You've been as constant as a Northern Star
You've been a reliable and unwavering source of guidance like the North Star
The brightest light that shines
The most radiant light that illuminates my life
I just want to say this is my way
I want to express myself
Of tellin' you everything
In order to tell you everything
I could never say before
That I have never been able to express before
Yeah, this is my way of tellin' you
This is my method of communicating to you
That every day I'm lovin' you so much more
I love you more each day
'Cause you believed in me through my darkest night
Because you had faith in me during my darkest moments
Put somethin' better inside of me
You inspired and supported me to be a better version of myself
You brought me into the light
You helped me come out of my negative state and into the positive
Threw away all those crazy dreams
I let go of all my unrealistic ambitions
I put them all behind
I moved on from them
If I should doubt myself
If I ever lose confidence in myself
If I'm losing ground
If I'm not doing as well as I would like
I won't turn to someone else
I won't seek comfort or advice from anyone else
They'd only let me down
Because they couldn't offer me what you do
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gerald Rafferty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@borderpatrol08
I love everyone's positivity because this song is too smooth to ever have something negative to say
@MissTerri1979
borderpatrol08 I love your way of thinking! 😎💛🙌
@jeffbrigman6811
Ty
@rochelle9022
Oooo me me
@junevanstaden6010
Beautiful. May 2020
@jeffbrigman6811
@@ChickenMan3428 im so sorry ,,i hope the song comforts u!
@barbarakozera4564
Brings me back to a time when I had the guts to leave an abusive marriage and learned to drive and got a cute little orange beetle car and lost 45 pounds and permed my hair and drove by myself across Canada with music like this blaring. I’m 75 now and gained 30 pounds back but have a wonderful family and looooove these old songs.
@lynettepurkis2004
I agree Barbara, we may be older and wiser but we still appreciate good music.
@yehchuck
Phenomenal story. Love hearing people break away from dark situations and change their life
@stevemurrell6167
Go girl! Well done.