It Was 50 Years Ago Today ‘Stuck in the Middle with You’

Even before he became a successful and respected musician, Gerry Rafferty had developed a loathing for the oftenunderhanded machinations of the pop-music industry.

He was born in 1947 in Paisley, Scotland, a town that borders Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city. Rafferty came from a workingclass family, where his mother taught him Scottish and Irish folk songs. As he grew into his teens, he became influenced by the music of the Beatles and Bob Dylan.

His father was a hot-tempered alcoholic who died in 1963, when Rafferty was 16. That year, young Rafferty left school to work in a butcher store and a shoe shop, although deep down he wanted only to earn a living by making music.

On weekends, he and best pal Joe Egan played in a local rock band called the Maverix, primarily offering up covers of Beatles and Stones hits. Rafferty later joined a folk-pop group called the Humblebums, which included future comic star Billy Connolly. The Humblebums cut a pair of albums for Transatlantic Records, which received critical appreciation but sold poorly.

in 1973.

“Stuck in the Middle with You”

By Stealers Wheel May 1973

When the Humblebums disbanded in 1971, Rafferty continued with Transatlantic as a solo performer and recorded his first album, Can I Have My Money Back? His creation received enthusiastic praise but was ignored by the record-buying public.

In 1972, he and Egan reunited, this time to form a soft-rock outfit called Stealers Wheel. They promptly struck gold with “Stuck in the Middle with You,” which became a Top 10 single in America, the U.K., and Canada. That hit 45 gave Rafferty a chance to vent his spleen against the negative forces that controlled the music business.

In a voice that mimicked his idol Bob Dylan, Rafferty set the scene for his tune at a record-company party that made him uncomfortable being in the midst of the power people he always preferred to avoid:

Well, I don’t know why I came here tonight I got the feeling that something ain’t right Rafferty just wanted to make music, revel in the satisfaction of its creation, and ignore that part of the picture that included insensitive bean-counters and “friends” who were supposedly furthering his career:

Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right Here I am, stuck in the middle with you

He found his frustrations maddening:

Trying to make some sense of it all

But I can see that it makes no sense at all Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor?

’Cause I don’t think that I can take anymore

Stealers Wheel cut a trio of albums, but by the time the first one was issued, Rafferty had already left the outfit. Stealers Wheel officially disbanded in 1975, and for three years Rafferty’s creative hands were tied by legal hassles that prevented him from releasing new material.

In 1978, his 6-million-selling LP City to City featured his signature song, the worldwide hit “Baker Street.” As a result, his success brought Rafferty financial independence — thanks, ironically, to the industry that he despised.

In the year following a stroke, about 1 in 3 stroke survivors will experience spasticity, a common poststroke condition that causes muscle stiffness due to involuntary muscle contractions.

Most commonly affecting the elbow, wrist, and ankle, the condition may make it difficult to do activities people were able to do before their stroke like dressing, brushing their teeth, or walking.

More than 3 million stroke survivors may wrestle with reduced independence and increased reliance on caregivers due to spasticity. The condition is particularly common in younger stroke survivors.

After a stroke, the way your brain communicates with your muscles may change. Muscles may be stiff or resistant to stretching. They may involuntarily contract or have a smaller range of motion.

“While there’s no cure for spasticity, working with your care team to find the best treatment options for you can help provide comfort, relief, and independence,” said Richard D. Zorowitz, MD, volunteer past chair of the American Heart Association’s Stroke Council Rehabilitation and Recovery Committee and chief medical informatics officer and outpatient attending physician at MedStar National Rehabilitation Network.

May is American Stroke Month

deformities. Experts stress seeing a doctor as soon as symptoms develop. Assessment of the condition is critical in developing a treatment plan based on individual needs and goals, the severity of the condition, and overall health.

Management plans may include targeted injections of botulinum toxin, oral medications, intrathecal baclofen pump therapy, physical therapy, or other methods to improve the muscles’ ability to stretch and regain range of motion. Home modifications, such as assistive devices and other adaptations to increase independence and safety, may also help.

If you or a loved one is dealing with spasticity after a stroke, talk to your doctor or health care team about options to treat and manage it. Find resources and tools to help at stroke.org/spasticit y. Spasticity education made possible through funding by Ipsen.

Knowing the Signs of Stroke Saved One Man’s Life

Some common symptoms include painful muscle spasms; difficulty stretching muscles; stiffness in the arm, hand, leg, and ankle; an arm folded and pressed against the chest with a curled wrist and fingers; an involuntary tight fist; pointed foot; curled toes; and overactive reflexes.

If left untreated, spasticity can cause painful and debilitating bone and joint

One-Floor Living

When Herbert “Hub” Miller worked as a global leader for an international agriculture science company, his boss ended every meeting with a reminder of the “FAST” acronym to recognize the signs of stroke: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Time to call 911.

“I’d sit back and think, ‘Here comes the whole FAST speech again; let’s move on,’” Miller said. “I didn’t know I’d ever use it on myself.”

In April 2021, Miller was working from home when he experienced throbbing

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Covered head pain. As other symptoms began appearing, the 42-yearold remembered those meetings and checked off the symptoms: His face was numb, his left arm drooped, and he struggled to form words.

It turned out to be a hemorrhagic stroke, a ruptured blood vessel bleeding into the brain. Miller’s odds of surviving weren’t good, but it wasn’t until he was recovering in intensive care that he understood the full impact of the stroke.

It caused abnormal increases in muscle tone causing stiffness, pain, and spasms known as spasticity, leaving him with mobility and cognitive challenges.

After the stroke, Miller struggled with once-simple tasks like drawing a clock, completing a word puzzle, and playing memory games.

“Spasticity changed my life and added an additional hurdle to my stroke recovery,” Miller said. “Without being able to open and close my left hand, I can’t write, type, or drive like I used to. Those are things most of us take for granted until we can’t do them.”

Miller worked on his penmanship at the same time his youngest son learned to write in the first grade. Miller asked the teacher to send home extra worksheets, and father and son did homework together.

“I don’t measure my success day by day, but when I look back to a year ago and where I am today, I am grateful every day how far I have come,” he said. (Family Features)