Caught In The Middle
by Dio

Album: Holy Diver (1983)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The song is about Angelo Arcuri, he was the engineer on Holy Diver and would often come to Dio when he was having troubles. Dio came up with the song's title when Angelo told him he was "caught in the middle again."

    "Angelo's life always seemed to that of one caught in the middle of some kind of turmoil," Ronnie James Dio explained. "He would often make decisions that were wrong, and he would come to me and go, 'Ron, what am I gonna do?'" >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Austin - Indianapolis, Indiana
  • This rocker is part of Holy Diver, the first album by Dio, the band formed by Ronnie James Dio after leaving Black Sabbath. They recorded the album at Sound City Studios with Dio producing. Without an experienced hand at the helm, they had to figure out how to make the album as they went along, which made Angelo Arcuri's role as engineer a very important one. They ended up using some unorthodox techniques to get a distinct sound, like putting drummer Vinny Appice's kit against a window and surrounding him with plywood. The album ended up being a metal landmark and proof that Ronnie James Dio could succeed outside of Black Sabbath.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.