Gerry Rafferty

Further to Pierre Pierrone's obituary of Gerry Rafferty (6 January), while it is natural that the huge hit songs such as "Baker Street" and "Stuck In the Middle" feature largely in his obituaries it should not be forgotten that his songbook at least until the late 1970s included a series of beautifully observed songs featuring wry observation, true emotions and winning melodies, writes Thom Hickey. Songs such as "Patrick" and "Steamboat Row" are models of the songwriter's art. His song "Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway" is a classic song of real poignancy which became iconic in the Irish folk world through the magnificent performance of it (much revered by John Peel) by the Furey Brothers:

"The coat she wore still lies upon my bed

The book I gave her that she never read

She left without a single word to say

Her father didn't like me anyway."