"Every pop musician is a magpie and a thief"- Elvis Costello

The above statement should not be read as an excuse, just one (fucking great) songwriter's opinion.  When Bob Dylan sang "They say Patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings" in "Sweetheart Like You" is he stealing from Samuel Johnson?  Do the words 'They Say' let the listener in on the fact that he is not attempting to pass this saying off as one of his original lyrics?  Maybe.  Elsewhere in the song he says "In your father's house there's many mansions", a Bibilical allusion.  Dylan's full of those.  So is Shakespeare.  Dylan's work is also full of allusions to Shakespeare as well.  Dylan's song "Seeing the Real You at Last" has lyrics lifted almost verbatim from some old movies.  Theft or an inspired attempt to write a song in a different way than usual?  If Dylan uses Samuel Johnson, St. Paul or Shakespeare the charges of plaigarism seem less likely to stick, being that these are works many are familiar with and therefore seem more allusive.  Dr. Saga is some obscure man.  Lifting his text appears more nefarious, because he doesn't have the renown Shakespeare or Jesus has. "Inspired by the words of Jesus" probably don't need to be put in CD sleeves, though I bet they appear in lots of Contemporary Christian and Gangsta rap discs.

Bob Dylan lifted the melody for "Buckets of Rain" from Tom Paxton's "Bottle of Wine" almost wholesale, from what I've read. I think he had to pay for it, too.  George Harrison had to pay, who, the Shirelles, the Shrangi-La's for the bridge in "My Sweet Lord"?  Anyone want to go piss on his grave?

I disagree with the earlier assertion that Michelle Branch would be ripped to shit by the music press.  Perhaps something would be on MTV.com, sure.  But who expects anything from Michelle Branch?  She doesn't have the critical weight of Bob Dylan.  Besides, don't you think maybe she ripped off the Proclaimers?  They promised to walk a thousand miles for their love when Michelle Branch was in diapers. ;-)

Adam