Some intrepid YouTube user has posted a video that compares Bruce Springsteen's "Outlaw Pete" with Kiss' "I Was Made For Lovin' You," claiming that the Boss plagiarized the song from Kiss. The comparison doesn't work so much in the verses, but the choruses do share a striking familiarity. It's likely this was an unintentional similarity--and after all, the Boss isn't arranging all the music, the E-Street Band could be the culprits here. What do you guys think? [via Daily Swarm]
This is ironic. I thought for sure the accusation of plagarism was going to be about the similarity between the chorus of Bruce's "Working on a Dream" and the old Vanity Fair hit, "Hitchin' a Ride."
These two songs aren't actually that similar.
BTW, this is a a fairly well-worn youtube meme: accusing artist A of ripping off artist B by playing two songs that sort of sound similar, alternating back and forth. It's tiresome.
Guess what internet kids: Pop/rock musicians, for the most part, are all using the same musical vocabulary-- and have been doing so for decades. Despite the best efforts of artists to be "original" there WILL be similarities in chord progressions, melodic lines, etc. It is absolutely unavoidable, and fairly irrelevant.
Let's through in the verse from Blondie's "Call Me" while we're at it too.
mantron
both songs suck monkey nuts.
me
the similarity struck me the first time i heard it. as a songwriter myself, i have developed a sensitivity to this sort of cribbing, lest i do it myself. this is so blatant, i'm amazed they didn't realise they were doing it and can the song, or try to find a more original melody. I totally disagree with GregIngber - it's really not that hard to be original - not totally unavoidable, it just requires vigilance, because it's so easy to copy, and the real challenge in songwriting is to come up with something new. it's a myth that there are only a certain number of possible melodies, or if there is that we're any where near approaching that. The possibilities for originality are virtually limitless.
simon