Music Banter - View Single Post - How Johnny Cash accidentally ripped off Townes Van Zandt

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 01-22-2011, 07:10 PM

Of all the covers Johnny Cash performed in his later years, he never took on a Townes Van Zandt song. Or did he? Well, not exactly. But he did cover a song by Tanya Tucker, a song that stole the melody from the Townes Van Zandt song If I Needed You.

The song in question here is Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone) , released as a single by Tucker in 1974. As was and still is common in country music, the song was not written by the performer. The writer, David Allan Coe, whom Rolling Stone magazine once infamously called the "Rhinestone Rip-Off", is observed to have lied about his past in prison - claiming he served on death row, while no such record exists. This and his racist albums Nothing Sacred and Underground Album certainly speak about his character, but the real evidence is in the circumstances behind the song.

In 1972, Van Zandt released The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, which contained the first recorded version of If I Needed You. Townes was not a well known performer at this time, but he had already made a significant impact on the outlaw country movement. This meant that while he wasn't a household name, a person like David Allan Coe, also heavily involved in outlaw country music, would certainly have heard of him. Having the opportunity to write a song for a star like Tanya Tucker meant Coe could lift the melody from If I Needed You, change the bars around, and sell it to a pre-warmed audience. While The Late Great Townes Van Zandt struggled just to stay in print, Would You Lay with me charted number 3 on the country billboard.

Most country fans know If I Needed You by the Emmylou Harris and Don Williams cover, released as a single in 1981. Being years after the original was written and the melody was stolen by Coe, the two songs aren't often compared. Interestingly, that single also reached number 3 on the billboard.

Don't just take my word for it, you be the judge.

Townes Van Zandt - If I Needed You

David Allan Coe - Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone)

As you may have heard, the vocal melodies and phrasing are suspiciously similar. Even if you're hesitant to call it a direct "rip off", you have to note the striking similarities between the songs. Throw into the mix Johnny Cash. His stripped down rendition sounds, tragically, like a complete If I Needed You knock off.

Johnny Cash

And that is how, I believe, Johnny Cash accidentally ripped off Townes Van Zandt. It should be noted that neither Cash nor Tucker are to blame, and that David Allan Coe is the real guilty party here. I had some time and I really felt like writing, so... yeah. There you have it. Spelling errors? What spelling errors?

01-22-2011, 07:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 4,538	How Johnny Cash accidentally ripped off Townes Van Zandt Of all the covers Johnny Cash performed in his later years, he never took on a Townes Van Zandt song. Or did he? Well, not exactly. But he did cover a song by Tanya Tucker, a song that stole the melody from the Townes Van Zandt song If I Needed You. The song in question here is Would You Lay with Me (In a Field of Stone) , released as a single by Tucker in 1974. As was and still is common in country music, the song was not written by the performer. The writer, David Allan Coe, whom Rolling Stone magazine once infamously called the "Rhinestone Rip-Off", is observed to have lied about his past in prison - claiming he served on death row, while no such record exists. This and his racist albums Nothing Sacred and Underground Album certainly speak about his character, but the real evidence is in the circumstances behind the song. In 1972, Van Zandt released The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, which contained the first recorded version of If I Needed You. Townes was not a well known performer at this time, but he had already made a significant impact on the outlaw country movement. This meant that while he wasn't a household name, a person like David Allan Coe, also heavily involved in outlaw country music, would certainly have heard of him. Having the opportunity to write a song for a star like Tanya Tucker meant Coe could lift the melody from If I Needed You, change the bars around, and sell it to a pre-warmed audience. While The Late Great Townes Van Zandt struggled just to stay in print, Would You Lay with me charted number 3 on the country billboard. Most country fans know If I Needed You by the Emmylou Harris and Don Williams cover, released as a single in 1981. Being years after the original was written and the melody was stolen by Coe, the two songs aren't often compared. Interestingly, that single also reached number 3 on the billboard. Don't just take my word for it, you be the judge. Townes Van Zandt - If I Needed You David Allan Coe - Would You Lay With Me (In a Field of Stone) As you may have heard, the vocal melodies and phrasing are suspiciously similar. Even if you're hesitant to call it a direct "rip off", you have to note the striking similarities between the songs. Throw into the mix Johnny Cash. His stripped down rendition sounds, tragically, like a complete If I Needed You knock off. Johnny Cash And that is how, I believe, Johnny Cash accidentally ripped off Townes Van Zandt. It should be noted that neither Cash nor Tucker are to blame, and that David Allan Coe is the real guilty party here. I had some time and I really felt like writing, so... yeah. There you have it. Spelling errors? What spelling errors?