Rafferty was born in Paisley, Scotland and began playing in bands as a teenager. "Stuck in the Middle" was written in the early 1970's with his band "Stealers Wheel". It was a parody of Bob Dylan's style. It became a hit again after being used in the movie "Reservoir Dogs" directed by Quentin Tarantino in 1992. Rafferty also played in a folk group, the Humblebums, with Scottish comedian Billy Connolly.