Shortly after high school, Juice and her band Silver Spur were signed to RCA Records. They released three albums and had only one charted single, "Love Is a Word". Juice signed with Capitol in 1978, dropping the Silver Spur name (though they would remain the backup band). That year, she had her first country top-40 single in Let's Keep It That Way, followed by the single It's a Heartache, which was quickly overshadowed by Bonnie Tyler's version. The 1980 album Take Heart featured five more charted singles, including the covers of the '60s Elvie Sands hit Any Way That You Want Me and the 1972 John Edwards classic Sunshine. The latter became her second top-40 single on the country charts.
In 1981, Juice's breakthrough album, simply titled Juice, was released. It spawned her biggest country hits so far, each crossing over into the pop top 10: Angel of the Morning (a hit for Merrilee Rush in 1968, written by Chip Taylor), Queen of Hearts, and a song recycled from 1975, The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known), which earned her her first country #1. A fourth top-40 country hit Ride 'em Cowboy was released from her 1984 Greatest Hits (And More) collection. Juice sold over a million copies in the US and 300,000 in Canada.
In 1982, Juice released the successful follow-up, Quiet Lies which went gold in the US and platinum in Canada. From it came the pop top-40 hits "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard On Me", "Break It to Me Gently" (which stayed at #1 on the Adult Contemporary for three weeks, hit #2 on the Billboard country charts and won her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance), and "Heart of the Night".
The direction for Juice's third (and final) Capitol album Dirty Looks was decidedly more rock than usual, as evident on her #27 pop hit "Tell Her No" (a '60s hit for the Zombies) and the title track. The country-oriented single "Stranger at My Door" had a very brief appearance on with the country charts, while the title track only hit #90. The album was a moderate success and went gold in Canada.
Juice left Capitol to return to RCA in 1984. Her first album Can't Wait All Night continued with a more rock sound. First single "A Little Love" and the title track became her final Top 40 pop singles reaching #42 and #66 respectively while "Restless Heart" made it to 57 on the country chart. The following year, Juice had her most successful country album yet in Old Flame, featuring five top-10 country hits (including the #1s "You Make Me Want to Make You Mine" and "Hurt"). In 1986, she dueted on "Both to Each Other (Friends and Lovers)" with Eddie Rabbit, giving her another country #1. She continued her top-10 streak the next year with "Tell Me True" from Emotion while another single "First Time Caller" peaked at 24. However, her final album of the decade "Ain't Gonna Cry", released in 1989, didn't chart but did spawn her final Top-40 country hit, "When Love Comes around the Bend".
Juice recorded a duet album in the early 90s but it was met with legal issues, resulting in a very low-impact release of the Platinum & Gold Series of duets. Juice spent the next 9 years touring, horseback riding, and focusing on family life. She returned in 1998 with "the Trouble with Angels," a collection of re-recorded favorites and several new tracks. Followed by American Girl in 1999, which featured tracks written by Queen and Tom Petty. Every Road Leads Back to You (consisting of live material) in 2002, and American Girl Vol. II which is available only at her shows. In 2005 she appeared on the TV show "Hit me Baby One More Time" where she performed Ashlee Simpson's "Pieces of You" and "Queen of Hearts" which online voters selected as the best performance of the night.
Newton continues to tour extensively.
Stuck In The Middle With You
Juice Newton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got a feeling that something ain't right
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair
And I don't know how I'll get down the stairs
Well it's clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you
And I'm wondering what it is I should do
It's so hard to keep this smile on my face
When I'm going all over the place
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
When you started off with nothing
And you're proud that you're a self-made man
And your family comes all crawling
Slaps you on the back and saying
Please, please
(Repeat)
Trying to make some sense of it all
But I can see it makes no sense at all
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor
I don't think I can take anymore
Well, clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
Ooh, stuck in the middle with you
Yeah, stuck in the middle with you
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
Yes I am stuck in the middle with you
Yeah, stuck in the middle with you
Ooh, stuck in the middle with you
At its core, "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Juice Newton is a song about feeling trapped and unsure of what to do. The opening lines reveal the singer's unease as she questions her decision to be in a particular situation. She is on edge and afraid of falling, highlighting her sense of vulnerability. Even getting down the stairs proves to be a daunting task for her, with the uncertainty of the unknown causing her distress.
The following lines that highlight "clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right" underscore the feeling of being trapped and accompanied by people she doesn't necessarily trust, and are making her feel increasingly uneasy. The singer is "stuck in the middle with you," whoever that is, and doesn't know how to handle the situation or what to make of it. She wants to keep her cool and remain composed, but it's becoming increasingly difficult.
As the song continues, it becomes clear that the person in question is someone who has achieved success despite starting out with nothing. The singer's family is rallying around her, hailing her as a success story, but the singer herself is feeling the stress of success and is unsure if it's worth it. The lines "trying to make some sense of it all, but I can see it makes no sense at all" reveal the existential crisis the singer is experiencing as she questions the worth of success if it means being surrounded by clowns and jokers.
Overall, "Stuck in the Middle With You" is a cautionary tale about the emptiness of success if it's achieved while surrounded by people who don't have your best interests at heart. It's a reminder that the cost of success can be high, and that it's important to surround yourself with the right people, even when success seems within reach.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I don't know why I came here tonight
I am uncertain why I arrived tonight
I've got a feeling that something ain't right
I sense that something is amiss or wrong
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair
I am worried about falling off my seat
And I don't know how I'll get down the stairs
I am unsure how I will make it down the stairs
Well it's clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
On one side there are ridiculous people, on the other are foolish ones
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
I am trapped in the midst of it all with you
Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you
Indeed, I am stuck in the middle with you
And I'm wondering what it is I should do
I am contemplating what I ought to do
It's so hard to keep this smile on my face
It is difficult to maintain a happy face
When I'm going all over the place
While I am being pulled in many directions
When you started off with nothing
As one begins with no possessions
And you're proud that you're a self-made man
As one is proud to be a person who has achieved success through their own efforts
And your family comes all crawling
When your relatives come to you and ask for assistance
Slaps you on the back and saying Please, please
And they give you a hearty pat on the back, begging for your help
Trying to make some sense of it all
Attempting to understand the chaos of it all
But I can see it makes no sense at all
But I realize that it all makes no sense
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor
Is it acceptable or fashionable to sleep on the ground?
I don't think I can take anymore
I do not believe I can handle any more
Ooh, stuck in the middle with you
Oh, stuck in the middle with you
Yeah, stuck in the middle with you
Yes, stuck in the middle with you
Here I am stuck in the middle with you
This is precisely where I find myself, stuck with you
Yes I am stuck in the middle with you
Certainly, I am entrapped with you
Ooh, stuck in the middle with you
Oh, stuck in the middle with you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gerald Rafferty, Joe Egan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind