Last night, on his twitter feed Jason Isbell leveled the following charge: ““Dierks” has officially ripped off my song “In A Razor Town.” Dierks is a douchebag.”
The song Jason was referring to is a song called “Home”. Having never heard the song I shot on over to youtube to check it out and….wow.
Personally, I think it’s way too close to be coincidence but I’d love to hear your opinion on the subject. Here are both songs (cause I imagine you’ve not heard the Dierks song either).
Jason Isbell: In A Razor Town
Dierks Bentley – Home
Update: More convenient similarities?
Autopsy IV
Part time blogger. Full time hater.
Razor town being one of my favorite Isabella songs, I have listened to 1000′s of times, and only hearing this song twice, now, I don’t know man? Some definite similarities not sure if blatant ripoff though. Will say that dierks song is fucking horrible. The chorus for sure is pretty damn close after just listening to both again.
It’s a close one, could be coincidence but I doubt it. I wouldn’t put it past the Nashville machine to be scouring indie records for songs they can re-write as potential ‘hits’. One thing is for sure though the Bentley song is a piece of shit.
Dave
The first time I had heard “Home” was when Isbell mentioned this on twitter. I think Jason is right, the two songs are way too similar. It makes sense that other artist would rip off Isbell, he is a great songwriter, however not universally known. I hope “Home” rakes in millions and Jason gets every penny.
The vocal melodies sound damn near identical. I am guessing since Dierks is part of the Nashville machine that some anoymous writer actually wrote the song.
I wonder if Isbell has ever accused Matthew Stafford of stealing his DNA?
ha ha ha.
that is terrible thievery. i feel bad for Jason because there is probably enough technicality involved that his legal options are slim. but i hope i’m wrong.
there was a time where i thought dierks might be a credible country artist but he never could convince me that i needed to buy one of his records. i wonder who wrote this song.
These two songs clearly sound similar, but does that really mean it’s ripped off? It could be ripped off. But, it could just as easily be coincidence.
In fact, Isbell’s old band the Drive-By Truckers could be accused of the same thing. As their song “Marry Me” (though I know Isbell didn’t write it) sounds eerily similar to the Eagles’ “Already Gone.”
Many artists don’t even really care about this similarities. I know Tom Petty has talked before about how didn’t really care that The Strokes riffed off of “American Girl” on their hit “Last Nite.”
I like both Isbell and Bentley, so I’m not sticking up for one over the other. Although, I will say I agree with a previous poster on “Home” being horrible. Bentley is capable of much better.
Well that sucks, yes… Its different enough to be “legally” considered “not the same song”…….BUT Derks song foking blows.
Razor Town is amazing…
In these cases I usually say let bygones be bygones. Can happen to any songwriter. Always seemed like the Jason/DBT song “Well Runs Dry” was just a bit too close to the Traveling Willburys “Tweeter and the Monkeyman” to be anything other than an unintentional lift. So he has been on the other side of this coin.
But fuck Dierks anyway.
Wouldn’t it be epic if this worked like rapper feuds worked and they wrote songs calling each other out and it got Jason a bunch of attention?
Pretty close.
To the inventory of stolen songs: On Buffalo Springfield’s “Mr. Soul,” Neil Young copied Keith Richards’ “Satisfaction” riff. Green Day’s “American Idiot” stole melody from Dillinger Four’s “Doublewhiskeycokenoice.” Green Day’s and Bentley’s songs suck. “Mr. Soul” is great.
After reading about this I had to write a blog myself because it was WAY too similar. Last year I think Dierks may have done the same thing to Matt King. Dierks song “Up on the Ridge” seems to take pieces from both Matt King’s songs “Hard Luck Road” and “Shanty Town” Check out my blog post for more info and you be the judge. It’s just too similar to be ignored.
http://www.eltrash.com/is-dierks-bently-and-company-stealing-songs/
I didn’t want to say anything when this was discovered last year but now it’s obviously not a coincidence. have been involved in the music biz professionally for years and I have sen this too many times. Dierks may or may not even know, but the writers do.
A little suspicious that this is not the first time from this crew.
To the peeps up there asking who the “writers” of the song were: wikipedia says that Dierks Bentley version was co-authored by Dierks, Dan Wilson and Brett Beavers and was inspired by the Tucson AZ shooting a year ago.
Personally these two songs sound waaaay too similar to be a coincidence. but on the other hand I know a lot of my favorite bands whos lyrics border on a straight copy. Safe to say someone some where has gone through the same things and had the same thoughts about it. I’d say if it bothers Jason that much he should do something about it. (and more power to him as well!)
Tons of songs sound similar. Unless they are exactly alike lyrically then it’s a mute point. chords cannot be copyrighted. Tons of songs have the same chords used and melody’s for that matter. I can assure you Dan Wilson, one of the co-writers of this song needs no help from Jason Isbell or no need to steal his song. If Jason is such a great songwriter, other Artists would be beating his door down to record his songs.
Outfit, Never Gonna Change, Goddamned Lonely Love, Decoration Day, Codeine, Dress Blues.
I think Jason’s songwriting skills are beyond reproach….
It’s all personal taste. If he could get the radio to play them. He would in a heartbeat. Any singer -songwriter that says different is lying.
“If Jason is such a great songwriter, other Artists would be beating his door down to record his songs.”
THIS is laughable! It is quite clear that the Nashville powers-that-be do NOT want good songs or good songwriters. The best songwriters are almost all on indie labels. Isbell gets plenty of critical acclaim by people who really know music. Not a surprise someone might take a great melody and rewrite it with some saccharine patriotic lyrics.
I think Isbell does plan to sue (given that he said on twitter late yesterday that he can’t say any more about it), and I hope he wins. DB’s refusal to even say it is similar but unintentional suggests a guilty conscience.
Not laughable, Jason Isbell would definitely allow his songs to be recorded by someone else if he was approached. If his material is so great, where are his awards. Indie Artist like the Civil Wars are having no problem getting recognized. Jason Isbell’s song was not stolen, it’s not the exact same in any way. How do I know this?, I do this for a living. He can file a lawsuit all he wants but it will go nowhere.
what is it that you do for a living? comment on blogs or public relations for ‘artists’ or write songs?
“If his material is so great, where are his awards”
Is this guy for real?
Or just trolling away?
: “If Jason is such a great songwriter, other Artists would be beating his door down to record his songs.”
or – just steal em…
Well there’s only so many intervals in the diatonic scale and rhythmic accents common to the country genre. Both songs sound like thousands of others. Isbell sounds like a countrified Paul Simon. Get over it already be thankful for your career buddy.
well i’m confused about the words interval, diatonic, and scale. I imagine you poking your finger in someone’s chest when you typed that line ‘get over it already be thankful for your career buddy.’ I think you were so busy poking your finger that you forgot to type the word ‘and’ in there somewhere.
So your point?
As usual ‘Farce the Music’ has found the smoking gun in this controversy…
http://www.farcethemusic.com/2012/01/is-dierks-bentley-song-thief.html
Honestly, the songs sound similar but I was expecting it to be much closer (I read the comments before I was able to actually hear the clips). The intro to “Marry Me” makes me think of the Eagles MUCH more than hearing Dierks’ song makes me think of “Razor Town.” And, quite honestly, I’ve heard many people agree that “Codeine” reminds them of OCMS “Wagon Wheel” but I don’t believe Jason ripped it off.
Bottomline: they are similar…but I think this little argument is a bit over the top.
mmm…Jason may be a good songwriter but he definitely doesn’t have any class. Isbell started the “Twittering Feud” to Dierks and calling him “douchebag”.He’s accusing only Dierks of stealing his song at this point. Isbell stated “he loves Dan Nelson(1 of the 3 cowriters of Dierks song “Home”). Isbell was sure “Nelson didn’t know that Dierks was stealing his song and Dierks probably presented it to Nelson and Brett Beavers and they ran with it”. Isbell’s assuming this makes an as# of his self. Isbell and his legal team should have talked with Dierks, his co-writers and legal team about the “similarities” of the 2 songs. Instead he started a very public twitter feud with middleschool like name calling. Isbell’s lack of class was again evident in the picture at the start of video with cigarette hanging out of his mouth, flipping the bird. Dierks should not have gotten drawn into the twitter name calling either. Who is the better song writer and or singer is all a matter of personal opinion. Bottom line Jason Isbell and his songs have not had so much attention as he’s getting now. Perhaps that was his intention all along when he made the publicity grabbing twitter accusations?
Twittering name-calling — yes, a middle school act
Country artists posing badass and “flipping the bird” — definitely NOT illustrative of classlessness. Isbell’s just doing his version of famous photos of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Townes Van Zandt wherein they’ve each said Fuck You and inspired tons of punk rockers.
johnny cash – http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr260/ashriver7/johnny-cash-middle-finger.jpg
willie nelson – http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_29_shKT4Elw/TQkag3s92oI/AAAAAAAALOY/bxV1lUTBBSo/s1600/Willie-Nelson%25255B1%25255D.jpg
and TVZ’s was on the back cover of The Late Great TVZ album – http://www.townesvanzandt.com/images/covers/lategreatback.jpg
There are similarities, but they are no way near the same song!