Album: Night Owl (1978)

Charted: 30 21

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• Out on the street I was talkin' to a man
  He said "there's so much of this life of mine that I don't understand"
  You shouldn't worry I said that ain't no crime
  Cause if you get it wrong you'll get it right next time, next time.
  
  You need direction, yeah you need a name
  When you're standing in the crossroads every highway looks the same
  After a while you can recognize the signs
  So if you get it wrong you'll get it right next time, next time.
  
  Life is a liar yeah life is a cheat
  It'll lead you on and pull the ground from underneath your feet
  No use complainin', don't you worry, don't you whine
  Cause if you get it wrong you'll get it right next time, next time.
  
  You gotta grow, you gotta learn by your mistakes
  You gotta die a little everyday just to try to stay awake
  When you believe there's no mountain you can climb
  And if you get it wrong you'll get it right next time, next time.
  
  Next time, you-hum Writer/s: Gerald Rafferty
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

• Carmen from IndyI challenge any human alive to throw on a good pair of headphones, turn this bassY tune on and keep from tapping your toes to this mesmerizing addictive beat
• Music LoverI remember this song on the radio in the fall of 1979, as I began my junior year of high school. It was a transitional time, as people were getting tired of disco, and newer sounds were emerging. Gerry Rafferty was unique and ahead of his time. Wonderful lyrics on this song!
• AnonymousI thought it said "I'll be the liar and I'll be the chief." Man I was way off of that one.
• AnonymousBrilliant song...Rafferty was a genius..
• Mason from NyFit the era, a mood song, great on road trips especially with a slight buzz
• Alan from Joliet, IlI love this song! But how did it chart to number 21 in 1979? It's got a long instrumental lead in, it's nothing to dance to (this is the era of disco, after all), and it's melodically boring--basically repeat a verse four times, around a solo. But the message resonates and the solo (saxophone) is really quite good.
• Jim from Pleasant Hill, CaQuite an inspirational song if you're in a down mood. I think this is one of Rafferty's five best, along with "As Wise As A Serpent," "The Ark," "The Garden of England," and of course "Baker Street."

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