# Songs that "steal" from other songs (not sampled) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 22, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727 "2012-05-22T15:55:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/81 "2017-03-21T23:08:08Z")
I can’t find any examples from **The Zombies**. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/82 "2017-03-27T22:57:41Z")
[Bach](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA1L0SsEXxU). The famous one, the one you heard during _Dangerous Liaisons_. [Vivaldi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSs6HKwhbAA). The version nobody plays, because Bach stole it and re-purposed it for his family to play. The bastard. 😉 (Also, I like the Bach version better. Sue me.) ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/83 "2017-03-28T03:50:25Z")
There also is Free vs. the Steve Miller Band: [Free](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=siMFORx8uO8) [Steve Miller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUHtJJ1Fgjs) But that’s just rock ‘n’ roll. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/84 "2017-03-28T04:34:11Z")
I find it interesting that so many responses call out people who copied from the Beatles while not noting the documented cases of them pulling melodies, bass lines and other elements directly from other artists works. Here are just a small number that I can think off of the top of my head. While it is the music an not the lyrics I think it applies as most samples are musical elements. Beatles song: Original Artist - Original song I Saw Her Standing There: Chuck Berry - I’m Talking About You Come Together: Chuck Berry - You Can’t Catch Me I Feel Fine: Bobby Parker - Watch Your Step (Also used in Moby Dick by Led Zeppelin) Revolution: Pee Wee Crayton - Do Unto Others Of course Chuck Berry and his song writers pulled a lot of material from Sister Rosetta Tharpe too. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/85 "2017-03-28T14:22:51Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > If you want a sampled or borrowed piece of music, Sugarloaf’s “Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You” uses the main guitar riff fro mthe Beatles’ “I Feel Fine.” Not their only borrowment in that song. They have a clear riff from Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” (the famous bass line) at one point in there. Let’s see… Tori Amos in “In the Springtime of His Voodoo” has the lyrics “standin on a corner in Winslow Arizona and I’m quite sure I’m in the wrong song” —a riff on the Eagles’ “Take it Easy” ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/86 "2017-03-28T15:31:30Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > The **R.E.M.** song **Man On The Moon** refers to **Elvis Presley** in the lyrics and includes **Michael Stipe** doing an **Elvis** style **Hey Baby**. I think you mean **Michael Stipe** doing an **Andy Kaufman** style **Elvis Presley** style **Hey Baby**. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/87 "2017-03-28T23:08:14Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The Beatles did it to themselves on “All You Need is Love” with Paul singing “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah. She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah.” near the fade-out. All You Need is Love starts with a few notes taken from the French national anthem. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/88 "2017-03-28T23:12:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Of all the Chucks who have walked the Earth, he’s the greatest Chuck ever. > > Rest well, Mr Berry. RC, there’s a Mr Norris here who would like a word with you. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/89 "2017-03-29T07:01:21Z")
Bloodhound Gang - _Fire Water Burn_. The singer compares himself to Frank Black then semi-uses lyrics from _Monkey Gone To Heaven_ “So if man is five and the devil is six than that must make me seven This honkey’s gone to heaven” ---
**Author:** ![jerseymule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jerseymule/32/3155_2.png) [@jerseymule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerseymule)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/90 "2017-03-29T18:52:40Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It looks like the original pressing of the Stones’ “Love in Vain” credited it to “Woody Payne,” which was a pseudonym used by Robert Johnson; it was later credited to Johnson directly. So the Stones were not stealing credit for the song. On the album [Beggars Banquet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beggars_Banquet) the Stones originally didn’t credit the bluesman who wrote “Prodigal Son”: [QUOTE=Wikipedia] Richards and Mick Jagger were mistakenly credited as writers on “Prodigal Son”, a cover of Robert Wilkins’s Biblical blues song of the same name. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/91 "2017-03-29T19:12:50Z")
> [@jerseymule](#): > > On the album [Beggars Banquet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beggars_Banquet) the Stones originally didn’t credit the bluesman who wrote “Prodigal Son”: The intended back cover of the album had written on the toilet wall–top center no less–“Prodigal Son written by Reverend Robert Wilkins.” This went by the wayside when the original cover was rejected by Decca, but it shows that the Stones fully intended to credit Wilkins right from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/92 "2017-03-29T19:56:13Z")
When Hook came out by Blue Traveler, I thought it was an interesting song. I wasn’t a huge fan of the group but I appreciated how they brought bluesey harmonica into their rock music and it wasn’t until much later that I read this and realized how punk rock that particular song really was: > **[Why “Hook” by Blues Traveler is actually a pretty genius work of metafiction](https://www.avclub.com/why-hook-by-blues-traveler-is-actually-a-pretty-geniu-1798232765)** > > The album may or may not be obsolete, but the fact remains: Listeners have long obsessed over individual songs. The Single File is The A.V. Club’s look at the deep cuts, detours, experiments, and anthems that make us reach for replay. I’m not much of a Musial guy so I didn’t know Pachelbel’s Canon was used so frequently in music as a “hook.” John Popper uses it as a hook and calls out that he’s doing it, lyrics are secondary to that hook, and he’s doing it for the money. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/93 "2017-03-30T03:41:24Z")
On “Welcome to the Pleasuredome”, Frankie Goes to Hollywood pay homage to fellow Liverpool band Gerry and the Pacemakers, with lead singer Holly Johnson singing the opening lines of “Ferry Cross the Mersey”. “Life goes on day after day”. Of course they did eventually cover the song. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/94 "2017-03-30T13:46:44Z")
“I’ve Seen All Good People” by Yes contains a couple of repeats of John Lennon’s line “All we are saying is give peace a chance,” just before the transition between the two sections, “Your Move” and “All Good People.” I just happened to hear it again on the radio yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/95 "2017-03-30T13:55:21Z")
The title song from _Hair_ includes, to the tune of “The Star-Spangled Banner”: _Oh say can you see my eyes, if you can_ Followed by “then my hair’s too short.” ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/96 "2017-03-30T14:08:18Z")
There is a large part of “Adventure of a Lifetime” by Coldplay lifted straight out of “It’s Only Love” by The Beatles. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/97 "2017-03-30T15:52:01Z")
> [@GrandWino](#): > > Old 97’s have a recent song called “[Champaign, Illinois](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQuXuHBneOw)” that is a shortened, up-tempo version of Bob Dylan’s “[Desolation Row](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0onT5Us4Mk)” but with different lyrics. Dylan is even listed as a co-writer of the song. > > Another Old 97s song, “Big Brown Eyes,” contains the lyric: “You don’t want me anymore, since Fame and Fortune broke down our door” which is very similar to a lyric in Loretta Lynn’s “Success” which goes “You don’t have time to love me anymore, since Fame and Fortune knocked upon our door.” There is also the guitar solo in the Old 97s song “Salome” which steals from the Supremes’ “I Hear A Symphony”. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/98 "2017-03-30T16:44:36Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > There is also the guitar solo in the Old 97s song “Salome” which steals from the Supremes’ “I Hear A Symphony”. If we’re counting quotes in guitar solos, Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” borrows from “Blue Moon.” ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/99 "2017-03-30T17:35:45Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > “I’ve Seen All Good People” by Yes contains a couple of repeats of John Lennon’s line “All we are saying is give peace a chance,” just before the transition between the two sections, “Your Move” and “All Good People.” > > I just happened to hear it again on the radio yesterday. That’s really odd. I’ve heard that song a zillion times and never noticed that before. Could it have been edited out in some versions, due to copyright or something? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727/100 "2017-03-30T17:44:19Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > That’s really odd. I’ve heard that song a zillion times and never noticed that before. > > Could it have been edited out in some versions, due to copyright or something? It’s just really easy to overlook–it’s pretty far back in the mix. It’s much more noticeable on the live \*Yessongs \*version. Also note the “Instant Karma” reference in the lyrics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-steal-from-other-songs-not-sampled/622727.md?page=6)