The Blurred Lines verdict has generated a lot of editorials and blog posts, and my Pachelbel Rant has even come up in some of the articles and discussion about it. So instead of adding my two cents with another blog or facebook post I decided to do what I do and write a comedy song about it.
It was fun to work on, and I hope you like it. I definitely used a “Got to Give it Up” style beat, with a bassline that’s sort of a mix between several Motown-y tracks. The melody and chord progression deviate from Blurred Lines quite a bit, but there is the root going to the 5th to start the verse, as Blurred Lines does. I mixed in a few other references as well, can you spot the one from the Zombies?
Here are the lyrics and dialogue:
Gray Area
“E’rbody lawyer up.
Have I heard this before?
No, it’s just different enough.
Are you sure?
Do you solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Word!”
When you hear this song you might get the feeling
You’ve heard something before, and you might think I’m stealing
Maybe it’s an accident or my inspiration
We’ll never really know until there’s some litigation
It’s a gray area ‘cause everybody’s blurring the lines
“Musicologist? No, I go to a musichiatrist. They can prescribe drugs.”
If you steal a song it can be a disaster
That’s why you have to pay if you ever use a master
“That’s sampling”
But when you steal the notes that’s called plagiarism
“No, no, no, no!”
And we always argue about when it is or isn’t
It’s a gray area ‘cause everybody’s blurring the lines
“Is that my line?
I thought it was my line?
Who’s line is it anyway?
Brady!”
It’s a gray area surrounding you
It’s a gray area you’re gonna get sued
It’s a gray area things are hard to prove
When can anyone say that they own a groove?
“Mein grooven!”
Stealing a classic song was never my intention
“Are you sure about that?”
But I was high on pills and not paying attention
“That I believe”
And we sang a different tune that everyone was hummin’
It’s not like we were 2 Live Crew singing Pretty Woman
“Oh snap!”
It’s a gray area ‘cause everybody’s blurring the lines
“How many musicians are on the Supreme Court?
I think they have a jug band”
It’s a gray area it sucks to be in it
It’s a gray area I wrote this song in 30 minutes
“Put in more time!”
It’s a gray area we all make deals
Cause even if you win we’re gonna file an appeal
They hired me to rap so I’m just talking
You try to sue me I’ll just start walking
I don’t care, I didn’t write this track
They emailed it to me I drop-boxed it back
It’s the worst 16 you ever heard
If something won’t rhyme I make up words
Pariboo? What’s Pariboo?
Sounds like a pet name made up for yours true
That’s o.k. I’m on a hot streak
This is the 9th track I’m featured on this week
I don’t know if it’s worth all this hysteria
It’s not black and white it’s a big gray area
It’s a gray area vision dreams of passion, baby
It’s a gray area, have I heard that before? Maybe
It’s a gray area where we all live
Is this illegal or just derivative?
“A little from column A, a little from column B”
It’s a gray area nobody has the answer
It’s a gray area I couldn’t afford nude dancers
It’s a gray area and that’s no joke
Next time I rip off something it’s gonna be Baroque