Different lyrics, same song ?

[jnewmark]

I know songs get copied a lot, especially old Blues songs, and some Rock songs. But, to me, Tennessee Whiskey is a blatant rip off of I'd Rather Go Blind. Same arrangement, same little guitar riffs, same bass line, and sung pretty much note for note, with different lyrics. Anybody else feel this way ?

 

[Zooberwerx]

John Fogerty got sued for plagiarizing his own copyrighted tunes: "Old Man Down the Road" vs "Run Through the Jungle". So yeah.

Riis

 

[Bonafide]

I know songs get copied a lot, especially old Blues songs, and some Rock songs. But, to me, Tennessee Whiskey is a blatant rip off of I'd Rather Go Blind. Same arrangement, same little guitar riffs, same bass line, and sung pretty much note for note, with different lyrics. Anybody else feel this way ?

Yes, it's a genuine and purposeful copy...musically. It was never intended to be anything but a soundcheck song/cover sung just for enjoyment and for live shows when played at all. But it's a dual cover actually... and here in Austin you'll be asked to play it both ways.

 

[12BitSlab]

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and the ABC song.

 

[Michedelic]

I know songs get copied a lot, especially old Blues songs, and some Rock songs. But, to me, Tennessee Whiskey is a blatant rip off of I'd Rather Go Blind. Same arrangement, same little guitar riffs, same bass line, and sung pretty much note for note, with different lyrics. Anybody else feel this way ?

The “TW” plagiarism has been much discussed; I don’t know what prompted Stapleton and company to pull such an arrogant and no-class move, but here’s two earlier versions of the song as it was actually written…



But that’s not the only instance in relatively modern times…





Then there was a bit of a flap about 90’s British band Elastica swiping riffs from earlier punk era bands The Stranglers and Wire, but it wasn’t quite as blatant as the previous examples. And then, I have one name for you…Led Zeppelin.

Just yesterday I was out and about and heard some obvious rip-off of “Stayin’ Alive”, and a few years ago there was some annoying pop tune that mimicked almost verbatim the riff of the Music Explosion’s “Little Bit Of Soul” as the hook. You have to wonder if it was coincidence, a running out if ideas, or a cynical appropriation(the writers knowing full well that the intended audience for the new song would know nothing of the older one).

But going further back, before mass communication, in the realm of of the passed down folk tradition, sure, there was plenty of recycling. Considering the Carter Family songbook, the bedrock of country music, A.P. Carter didn’t so much write many of their iconic titles as ‘collect’ them from the back woods. However, now that you can find practically all of human artistic endeavors online, I think it’s creatively bankrupt that anything is purloined. Sampling was lame enough as it is.

 

[4SG]

John Fogerty got sued for plagiarizing his own copyrighted tunes: "Old Man Down the Road" vs "Run Through the Jungle".

Fogerty won that case. The suit is notable not for the issue of plagiarism but because the Supreme Court set the precedent for the discretionary award of attorneys' fees to the prevailing party in a copyright case that still stands today, 28 years latter. Case is Fogerty v. Fantasy, Inc., 510 U.S. 517 (1994), for anyone interested.

 

[tpaul]

 

[jnewmark]

The crazy thing is, the first two versions are different than the Stapleton version, which is practically like Blind. What’s the reasoning behind doing such an iconic, at least in the RnB world, song with different lyrics with a song that already has an arrangement ?

 

[Michedelic]

Don’t forget to throw this in the mix…

 

[kirkplunkett]

I don’t know what prompted Stapleton and company to pull such an arrogant and no-class move…

This seems like a pattern for them… here is my late friend doing his version of the Al Green tune “I’m a Ram”. Sound familiar?

 

[Michedelic]

The crazy thing is, the first two versions are different than the Stapleton version, which is practically like Blind. What’s the reasoning behind doing such an iconic, at least in the RnB world, song with different lyrics with a song that already has an arrangement ?

Laziness, cynicism, or a creative deficit.

 

[devnulljp]

I can't remember the tunes, but weren't there a bunch of Motown songs they just put different vocals on? Like, literally the same recording but with a different vocal track. Not covers or alternative versions, but a completely different song over the same backing track.

 

[Pirate Captain]

this is what we call..."A lot of The Beatles" and "Most of Led Zeppelin" (and one "Steely Dan")

 

[Rib 13]

The verse of 21 Guns by Green Day is also Heart of Gold by Neil Young which is also a slight alteration of the verse of San Francisco by Scott McKenzie

The chorus of 21 Guns is also the chorus of Telephone Line by ELO which itself is also the chorus of All The Young Dudes by Mott the Hoople

 

[waynobass]

Rib, you know too much about rock music.

 

[Rib 13]

Rib, you know too much about rock music.

I really need another hobby...Im thinking about trying bass guitar. Whats the best bass for plagiarized music?

 

[tpaul]

Don’t forget to throw this in the mix…

It's already in the mix, it just takes a while to get to it

 

[bassman10096]

“Strange Brew” and “Hey Lawdy Mama”. Both by Cream.

 

[jdh3000]

I know songs get copied a lot, especially old Blues songs, and some Rock songs. But, to me, Tennessee Whiskey is a blatant rip off of I'd Rather Go Blind. Same arrangement, same little guitar riffs, same bass line, and sung pretty much note for note, with different lyrics. Anybody else feel this way ?

I'm glad someone else noticed this... it's pretty blatant. Many of his songs sound like a mishmash of 2 or 3 other songs barely hidden in one.

 

[LordRyan]

It is well known that Tom Petty was a big fan of The Animals having covered several of their songs in his concerts. See if you hear any similarities here.