# Stolen song structures **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2001, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397 "2001-02-14T01:58:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/41 "2001-02-15T15:21:48Z")
Some 20 years or so ago, when still working in radio, I edited together a mix of Santana’s \*\* Jingo \*\* and Deep Purple’s album cut \*\* Painter \*\* from their self-titled third album. It flows nicely from one to the other for an interesting contrast. BTW, in spite of the success of their heavy-metal later days, I believe that their real promise lay in some of the earlier orchestral-rock fusion attempts. They certainly stand the test of time IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/42 "2001-02-15T15:34:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DaveX \* > \*\*“La Bamba” and “Twist and Shout” \*\* Did you happen to see the “Stephen Banks’ Home Entertainment Center” special on HBO several years ago? He did a one-man show about a working-class drone who loved music. He was sitting on his couch, looking through a songbook and playing his guitar. He played these two back-to-back, did a double-take, and then acted disgusted. It was hilarious. That whole show was pure genius. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/43 "2001-02-15T16:59:00Z")
Some blatant examples: 1. Huey Lewis had the NERVE to sue Ray Parker Jr., claiming that “Ghostbusters” was stolen from “I Want a New Drug,” when in reality, Huey himself had ripped off “Pop Muzik” by M. 2. The main riff of Steve Miller’s #1 hit “Rock 'n Me” is an utter rip-off of “All Right Now” by Free. 3. The opening of the Byrds’ “Bells of Rhymney” sounded rather like George Harrison’s opening to “If I Needed Someone.” ---
**Author:** ![Venkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ec9cab/32.png) [@Venkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Venkman)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/44 "2001-02-15T18:07:06Z")
There was one on I heard on the radio a while back that I just can’t remember and is bugging me to no end. It was the beginning of some Eagles song, one that has a very orchesteral feel to it. It might have been the bit on the live album right before they go into ‘Desperado’, but that’s a guess. Then they played a different song by a different group, and it was darn near identical - same tempo, same key, and it sounded like 95% of the same arrangement even. Anybody have any idea what this might have been? It’s driving me nuts! ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/45 "2001-02-15T18:19:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Venkman \* > \*\*[Actually, “Surfin’ USA” uses the music from “Sweet Little 16” by Chuck Berry. At least in this instance Mr. Berry is given credit for it (although I understand he had to sue to get it). A lot of stuff Chuck Berry did sounds very much alike, but in this case it’s definitely “Sweet Little 16” and not “School Days”. > > \*\* Ack! That’s the song I was thinking of–thanks for setting me straight. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/46 "2001-02-15T18:22:14Z")
Here are a couple connected to Leonard Cohen. Compare “Famous Blue Raincoat” with Leo Sayers’ “When I Need You”: FBR: And Jane came by with a lock of your hair She said that you gave it to her That night that you planned to go clear… WINY: When I need you I just close my eyes and I’m With you And all that I so …(whatever) Or how about Cohen’s “Winter Lady” and “Pop Goes the Weasle”. (You’ll have to sing it a little fast and with a bouncy beat): Traveling lady stay a while Until the night is over I’m just a station on your way… …Pop goes the weasle!!! And finally, are there any other Texas Longhorn fans out there who are a little bothered with the notion that the first couple of bars of the “Texas Fight Song” (Texas Fight, Texas Fight, and it’s goodby to …) are nothing but “Taps” played with enthusiasm? ---
**Author:** ![BigStar303](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@BigStar303](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigStar303)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/47 "2001-02-15T18:24:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*Some blatant examples: > > 1. The opening of the Byrds’ “Bells of Rhymney” sounded rather like George Harrison’s opening to “If I Needed Someone.” \*\* Yes, but it worked in the opposite direction. The Byrds’ version of “Bells of Rhymney” was first released on their debut album, “Mr. Tambourine Man” in June 1965. The Beatles’ “If I Needed Someone” was first released on the UK version of “Rubber Soul” in December 1965. George Harrison freely acknowledged being influenced by “Bells of Rhymney” in creating the intro to his song. I believe he even sent his friend Jim McGuinn a note at the time making mention of it. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/48 "2001-02-15T18:48:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > [BIf that counts, how about Jessica Simposn’s “I Think I’m in Love With You”? That’s an even more blatant riff-off (sorry, bad pun) of “Jack & Diane”. > \*\* That’s the song I was thinking of when I opened this thread… the music is _exactly_ the same, to the extent that when I heard the Jessica Simpson song on a top-40 station, I was thinking how “Jack & Diane” is pretty retro for that station. Then she started singing, I was pretty disappointed. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/49 "2001-02-15T19:17:11Z")
I often hear songs (or just portions of songs) that immediately make me think of other songs, but it’s not necessarily identical chord structures. I can’t say for certain what it is, but I think it’s a combination of melody, harmony, rhythym and meter. Sometimes the actual lyrical themes play a part, too. Here’s just a few I can think of (I don’t know all the exact titles) “(Love is) What I got” - Sublime “Lady Madonna” - Beatles The opening part of the Sublime song anyway. Also some vaguely similar words & themes “Let Her Be” - Hootie & Blowfish “Let It Be” - Beatles Not so similar musically, but the words and meter match somewhat (compare ‘whisper words of wisdom – Let it be’ to ‘sun comes up tomorrow – Let her be’. “Sentimental Lady” - ?? “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” - (Rogers(?) & ?) The part just before the chorus in Sentimental Lady “Steal my Sunshine” - LEM “Hanginaround” - Counting Crows Various slight similarities, plus the fact that they were released close to each other, makes me associate these two. As for identical chords, I knew someone who used to play “Hang On, Louie Louie, Get Off of My Cloud” (aka Hey You, Sloopy!) ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/50 "2001-02-15T19:23:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by shimmery \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > > [BIf that counts, how about Jessica Simposn’s “I Think I’m in Love With You”? That’s an even more blatant riff-off (sorry, bad pun) of “Jack & Diane”. > > \*\* > > That’s the song I was thinking of when I opened this thread… the music is _exactly_ the same, to the extent that when I heard the Jessica Simpson song on a top-40 station, I was thinking how “Jack & Diane” is pretty retro for that station. Then she started singing, I was pretty disappointed. ☹ \*\* Er . . . it sounds exactly the same because it is exactly the same; it’s sampled from the record. I think people need to distinguish between “songs that are written at different times by different people but sound a lot alike” and “songs that physically sample from other songs.” “My Sweet Lord” happens to sound like "He’s So Fine’; “I Think I’m In Love With You” actually uses the “Jack & Diane” recording. No imagination whatsoever went into it. ---
**Author:** ![DaveX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@DaveX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveX)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/51 "2001-02-15T20:10:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Did you happen to see the “Stephen Banks’ Home Entertainment Center” special on HBO several years ago? Nope, sounds classic though. We noticed that one a few months ago whilst in the midst of a drunken karaoke stupor. One more for the ever growing list. The Pixies ‘U-Mass’ and Nirvana ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. In defense of Nirvana, they have stated that they were just trying to write a Pixies song on that one… ---
**Author:** ![ElDestructo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@ElDestructo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElDestructo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/52 "2001-02-15T22:52:38Z")
Just last night I was listening to Ween’s live album “Paintin’ the Town Brown”. There’s a version of their song “Japanese Cowboy” from “12 Country Classics” that segues into the theme from “Chariots of Fire”. The liner notes said that they realized it was the same chord progression as “Chariots of Fire” when they were rehearsing for the tour and decided to go ahead and make fun of themselves. I guess when your music makes fun of everybody else, you can’t pass up the opportunity to make fun of yourself, too. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397/53 "2001-02-15T23:32:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by shimmery \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > > > [BIf that counts, how about Jessica Simposn’s “I Think I’m in Love With You”? That’s an even more blatant riff-off (sorry, bad pun) of “Jack & Diane”. > > > \*\* > > > > That’s the song I was thinking of when I opened this thread… the music is _exactly_ the same, to the extent that when I heard the Jessica Simpson song on a top-40 station, I was thinking how “Jack & Diane” is pretty retro for that station. Then she started singing, I was pretty disappointed. ☹ \*\* > > Er . . . it sounds exactly the same because it is exactly the same; it’s sampled from the record. > \*\* oh, yeah, well of course I knew that. yep. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stolen-song-structures/54397.md?page=2)