The sad passing of Gerry Rafferty gave me more than an excuse to play Baker Street. It also made me think back to the early days of our agency, Cheeze.

When we founded the agency in 1999, Katherine and I were living in a two (well, one and a half) bedroom cottage in Suffolk. The back room was the office and kitchen table was the boardroom.

There was many a night we sat at that Boardroom table, once our daughter was asleep, drinking wine maybe celebrating a good day or commiserating a crap one.

The soundtrack to these evenings was often Gerry’s Greatest Hits. The song ‘You’ll get it right next time’ resonated strongly with us. If you get it wrong you’ll get it right next time.

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 yes 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, hmm

The music often comforted us, the lyrics heartened us.

I write this sitting at our kitchen table.

Thanks Gerry!