Songs that were separated at birth?

(Paul Kaufman gives new meaning to the phrase “Trivial Pursuit.”)

Paul McCartneyHere’s another parlor-type game: Describe two songs that seemingly have nothing in common (era, style, etc.) yet have multiple disturbingly similar characteristics once you list them.

Here’s an example: The Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll All Night” by KISS. You’re thinking this is crazy, but hear me out:

  1. Both were anthemic early hits by bands that became megastars of their respective decades.
  2. Both have teeth-clenchingly bad lyrics. Which is worse?: “She was just 17, if you know what I mean” or “You show us everything you got. Baby, baby, that’s quite a lot.”
  3. Both are sung by their bass players.
  4. This one’s my favorite: I think the best part of both these songs is the complex, melodic bass line played under the verses. No small feat given that the bass player is singing lead on these tunes. I imagine Paul McCartney and Gene Simmons both excelled at the “pat your head while rubbing your tummy” game as children.

More fun and games: Help Ray Brandes pick your perfect dinner party!

OK, gang, think of others. Remember, no fair comparing within genre, otherwise we’ll end up with a million comparisons of Cinderella and Warrant songs.

— Paul Kaufman

More by Paul Kaufman:

49 thoughts on “Songs that were separated at birth?”

  1. Pete Townsend had a secretary named “Cobain”…Kurt Cobain had a personal assistant named “Townsend.”

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  5. I thought that “hello, I love you” was the bastard child of “all day and all of the night” by the Kinks.

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  6. The Renegades: Girls Girls Girls
    vs.
    Wire Train: Chamber of Hellos

    1. Chamber of Hellos repeats “Hello” three times in the chorus.
    2. Wire Train was originally called The Renegades.

    Yup. That really is the best I can do.

    Have you ever tried to sing certain McCartney tunes with the lyrics of others? You’d be surprised how many fit. Start with Rocky Raccoon over I Saw Her Standing There…

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  9. the UNholy ghost. i still get such a rush seeing videos of him. so much wounded manchild and tough guy and ill fated poet…

    kevin, thanks, man… now i have rocky raccoon stuck up in my brain.

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  21. “Innagaddadavida” -- Iron Butterfly
    “Sunshine of Your Love” -- Cream
    — both heavy rock chunkers in D minor with a descending “A-Ab-G” thing

    “Let’s Spend the Night Together” -- Rolling Stones
    “David Watts” -- The Kinks
    — which came first?

    “Like Dreamers Do” -- Beatles
    “Didacts and Narpets” -- Rush
    — the exact same riff….weird…”Listen!”….”Return!”

    “Down to Earth” -- BeeGees
    “Space Oddity” -- David Bowie
    — eerily similar musically, lyrically one is ‘down to earth’ and one is about not getting back to earth

    “Rock and Roll Fantasy” -- The Kinks
    “Rock and Roll Fantasy” -- Bad Company
    More thematic twins than sound-alikes, appeared on the radio about the same time

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  23. Both Barry White’s “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” and Bad Company’s “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” were hits at the same time.

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  26. “Like Dreamers Do” – Beatles
    “Didacts and Narpets” – Rush
    – the exact same riff….weird…”Listen!”….”Return!”

    Rush is really saying “LUTAN”. Really.

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  27. I said it before.

    “Hurdy Gurdy Man” -- Donovan
    “Good Times, Bad Times” -- Led Zeppelin

    Also an eerie similitude:

    “Cindy Tells Me” -- Brian Eno
    “Let’s Stay Together” -- Al Green

    The Al Green song is what’s played right after Etta James’ “At Last”, when the gates of heaven open to admission.

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  28. Jim,

    “Love me Do” and “Jean Jeanie”?

    “Jean Jeanie” is QUITE LITERALLY just the Yardbird’s version of “Smokestack Lightning” with Bowie rambling a lyric, stylistically inspired by “Subterranean Homesick Blues” over the top.

    Of course, this juxtaposition is an expression of genius.

    The dissipated “wooo hooo”s in “Jean Jeanie” are Howlin’ Wolf via Keith Relf. The Wolf started by imitating Jimmie Rodgers, “The Yodeling Brakeman”!

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  30. I have a long-time dislike of Bob Marley. I can dig Toots, and am 100% behind Jimmy Cliff. I guess I’m not a “baker” -- never was.

    So, With some trepidation, I link Marley and the Wailers to one of my faves…

    TURN YOUR VOLUME UP FOR THIS ONE!

    “You Got Your Radio Turned Down Too Low…Turn It Up…!”

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  31. Thanks for the War, Jerry.

    It took me a while to get into this topic, but it’s essentially what DJs do when they create mashups. There are some really brilliant mashups out there. Here is one of favorites:

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  32. Best one of the bunch, Ray. Indeed, they should take real-life cues from this. Wanna go see Paul McCartney’s cavalcade of hits in a big stadium or an original line-up Van Halen reunion show? Nah, me neither.

    Wanna go see a band composed of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen performing Beatles/metal mashups? Sounds much more interesting.

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  41. Has anyone mentioned the sonic similarities between Kung Fu Fighting and Straight To Hell? You can cut and paste the openings and much of the phrasing to stunning results.
    Wish I knew how to do the mashing myself. Fascinating stuff…

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  44. Matt,

    Come as You Are? I have another. Life Goes On -- by The Damned.

    Some also say “Day Tripper” -- but they stretch, a bit…

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