Songs That Sound An Awful Lot Like Other Songs — Page 2

henrikegerman said: ""Come Back to Me" from ON A CLEAR DAY and "Follow Me" from CAMELOT"

Absolutely. And once you notice that, you can't help but associate the two. Which is a shame since Loewe had such a fertile gift for melodies.

[ETA: THIS IS MY DUMBEST POST SO FAR THIS YEAR. ANOTHER POSTER POINTS OUT BELOW (AND DOES SO MUCH MORE KINDLY THAN HE NEEDS TO BE) THAT "FOLLOW ME" WAS COMPOSED BY LOEWE, BUT "COME BACK TO ME" WAS COMPOSED BY BURTON LANE. SHEESH! "ASSISTED LIVING" CAN'T BE FAR IN MY FUTURE.]

Another silly association because I grew up hearing both songs as standards: once I realized that "Bali Hai" begins with the same octave jump and then a dip to the seventh as does "Over the Rainbow", I can never hear one song without thinking of the other. Fortunately, I love them both.

Famously, Jerry Herman openly borrowed his own tune when "There Is No Tune Like a Show Tune" (from an early revue, IIRC) became "Open a New Window" in MAME. (You can hear the two sung as a medley on Paige O'Hara's solo album, LOVING YOU.)

[ETA: HERE, TOO, I REFER TO "NEW WINDOW" WHEN I MEAN "IT'S TODAY" FROM THE SAME SHOW. OY!]

Also, Herman was sued over the similarity of his "Hello, Dolly" number to another composer's "Sunflower"; but though the case was settled before trial, Herman has always claimed he never heard "Sunflower" before "HD" was written and debuted. (For those who assume anyone who settles such a suit must be guilty, henrik will back me up when I say settlements are often reached when the cost of damages is lower than the cost of trial. Often the nominal defendant (in this case, Herman) has no say in the matter, as it is the defendant's insurance company who makes the decision.)

There are some others that are similar enough they become "medleys" in my mind while I shower. I'll add them here if I think of them...

Updated On: 3/24/19 at 01:28 AM

"Every Movie's a Circus" from SUNSET BOULEVARD is so similar to "What a Waste" from WONDERFUL TOWN that I was surprised there wasn't a lawsuit.

GavestonPS said: "henrikegerman said: ""Come Back to Me" from ON A CLEAR DAY and "Follow Me" from CAMELOT"

Absolutely. And once you notice that, you can't help but associate the two. Which is a shame since Loewe had such a fertile gift for melodies...."

Alan Jay Lerner wrote the lyrics to both songs, but Loewe did not compose "Come Back To Me." Burton Laine did. (The melodies are nearly identical, however.)

Comfort and Joy from Bat Boy and Legally Blonde from LB are basically the same song. Chorus is almost identical. Both by Laurence O'Keefe...

ABitOnTheSide said: ""Superstar" from Jesus Christ Superstar is the exact same as "Rosemary" from How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying."

Indeed. Michael Riedel wrote a column around the time of the last major revival in which he quoted Cy Coleman as having said, of critical and other disdain for Webber's work, "There isn't a Broadway composer alive who wouldn't give his right eye to have written the first six notes to 'Jesus Christ, Superstar.'" I sent a letter to Riedel asking if he was aware that Frank Loesser didn't have to lose an eye to write those notes first. Never heard back, of course.

fashionguru_23 said: "Playbill_Trash said: "I’m not that girl reprise in act 2 of wicked sounds a lot like I’m not that girl in act 1 of wicked."

Yup. A reprise would sound like that."

Wow

The Other One said: "GavestonPS said: "henrikegerman said: ""Come Back to Me" from ON A CLEAR DAY and "Follow Me" from CAMELOT"

Absolutely. And once you notice that, you can't help but associate the two. Which is a shame since Loewe had such a fertile gift for melodies...."

Alan Jay Lerner wrote the lyrics to both songs, but Loewe did not compose "Come Back To Me." Burton Laine did. (The melodies are nearly identical, however.)

"

Of course not. I am such an idiot, because I'm really quite a big Burton Lane fan. I apologize for wasting the time it took you to correct me. (Does that sentence sound sarcastic? It isn't meant to be, I swear.)

Off to the corner and the dunce cap for me!

****

ETA What's more, John Adams correctly points out that I referred to the wrong song in MAME. I had cataract surgery the day I made that post and they warned me not to sign any papers or many any other important decisions that day. I really, really, really should have listened!

Thanks to all (including henrikegerman) who had to unpack that mess of a post!

Updated On: 3/24/19 at 01:49 AM

broadwaybabywannabe2 said: "I always thought it interesting that Jerry Herman's BEFORE THE PARADE PASSES BY from Hello Dolly, and Stephen Sondheim's A PARADE IN TOWN, from Anyone Can Whistle, cover the exact same theme!"

And we know Adams and Schwartz also wrote a "parade" song for DOLLY that wasn't used.

Then there's "Don't Rain on My Parade" from FUNNY GIRL.

All from roughly 1963-4. For awhile I wondered whether David Merrick had four different teams all auditioning to write the Act One finale of DOLLY. But Charles Schwartz only mentions his and Adams involvement (and, of course, Jerry Herman's final version).

Oh my gosh "In My Dreams" from Anastasia sounds exactly like "Santa Fe" from Newsies. Their choruses are pretty much the same!

One that I just noticed recently, listen from the 30 second mark of "Let's Not Talk About Anything Else But Love" from The Addams Family and tell me that's not "Harry Houdini, Master Escapist" from Ragtime.

MollyJeanneMusic said: "I actually made a medley of the two songs! It's so much fun to sing!"

Oh wow that sounds awesome! Do you have a recording of it by any chance? I would love to listen to it if you have a link :)