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Angry Avril Responds to Rip-Off Claims

Posted Jul 7th 2007 12:22PM by TMZ Staff

Earlier this week, TMZ reported that attitudinal Avril Lavigne's song "Girlfriend" was a rip off of a 1979 song by the Rubinoos called "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend." Avril's management flatly denied the band's claims, and now Avril's called BS too.

Writes Avril:

"You may have heard some news that two guys who wrote for some band from the 1970s I have never in my life heard of called the "Rubinoos" are trying to sue me. They have a song called "I Want To Be Your Boyfriend" that has no musical similarities to the song "Girlfriend" that Luke Gottwald and I wrote together. They claim that a small part of the lyrics are the same and are saying that I took these from them. I had never heard this song in my life and their claim is based on 5 words! All songs share similar lyrics and emotions. As humans we speak one language.

Off the top of my head, two other songs that I can immediately think of with this type of lyric are "Hey, hey, you, you get off of my cloud" by the Rolling Stones and "Hey little girl I want to be your boyfriend" by the Ramones. Simply put, I have been falsely accused of ripping their song off. Luke and I have done nothing wrong and there is no merit to their claim."

Tags: Avril Lavigne, AvrilLavigne

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(Page 6 of 10) Previous 15 Comments | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

76. Of course I meant "scene". Man, I AM a hack!

Posted at 7:39PM on Jul 7th 2007 by Art

77. Canada's disgrace. nick_dagosto@yahoo.com

Posted at 7:45PM on Jul 7th 2007 by 'Harry Potter And The Botched Circumcision' (2012) IMDb

78. Wow. I just downloaded it off of Morpheus 'cause I quite frankly, I *never* actually (((buy))) CDs... or even MP3 songs (iTunes). lol

But it DOES sound noticeably similar! O_o Wow.

Posted at 5:45PM on Jul 9th 2007 by Tristan Unsworth

79. Hey Jury of Jerry Colonics

Luckily in this Country such decisions of civil fraud are determined by a Judge or Jury, not people on the Avril payroll that come running like that other Canadian, Tom Greens whole Fan Club did, when any mention of his name appears on line.

Musicologists can certaintly make a case at any trial with lots of "facts"..however, its kind of like how a judge once described pornography "I cant define it, but I know it when I see it"....same for a ripped off musical piece---the average person, which would comprise any jury, would know a rip off when they hear one.

Now crawl back into your Avril Fan Club President hole in Saskatoon or wherever you people hang out.

Posted at 7:55PM on Jul 7th 2007 by Mall Rat

80. If she was a visual artist she could call it appropriation and get away with it.
It just aint that hard to make up your own song, here have this one,

hey hey ho ho
your head is like a lunch box
baby

Posted at 8:53PM on Jul 7th 2007 by don toledo

81. Mall Rat -

Sorry Perry Mason, that's not how music plagirism cases work. Bet you think CSI is real too.

Posted at 8:31PM on Jul 7th 2007 by Jury of Jerry Colonnas

82. When the hell did humans start to speak only one language??? Avril has to be one of the dumbest people ever if she can bring any Rolling Stones song in comparison to any of her crap. I know a way she can prove herself though, how about starting to write your own damn songs??? That way you know they weren't ripped off before you put your S**T of a voice on your records!!!! Peace out.

Posted at 1:25AM on Jul 8th 2007 by Nick S.

83. She is a fraud. She needs to stop talking crap about other celebs all the time in interviews and focus on writing decent songs instead of stealing them.

Posted at 9:02PM on Jul 7th 2007 by Alex

84. Hey, TMZ - let us weigh-in on this one with a poll - knockoff or not a knockoff. I vote "no," after listening to both tunes. And BTW, I can't stand the girl or her music, so it was an exercise in pain. I actually preferred their tune, going with the lesser of the evils.

Whatever the outcome, these losers definitely will get their 15 minutes of "fame," and settlement or not, might reap a few bucks to meet their car payments. -Check out the popularity of their song in question on iTunes right now, compared with all the other megahits they recorded.

Good work, boys - you'll manage to make some sleazy lawyers some money and add to the compost heap of the world.

Posted at 9:10PM on Jul 7th 2007 by Ruby Nooz

85. It's not that it's just the same lyrics.
That part of the song sounds the exact same.

It's not like "Hey....hey-you. I want to be your..boyfriend".

Both songs are "Hey, hey! You, you! I want to be your boooyfriend"

Posted at 10:57PM on Jul 9th 2007 by Lor

86. Anyone that has ever heard the arias of Handel and Bach know that they are sublime. And many of the melodies are taken from their own and others work. It was the custom of composers to work that way. How strangely sad and moronic that people can get so concerned about what appears in both cases to be just juvenile novelties that are meant to be enjoyed for the moment and quickly (and mercifully) forgotten.

Posted at 9:23PM on Jul 7th 2007 by Jesse

87. wow...without a doubt that song was ripped off. The first time I heard Avrils' version I knew I had heard that song before. Maybe she thinks all 70's band members are dead and know one would notice. Sorry Avril..you stole a song and you got caught.

Posted at 12:30AM on Jul 8th 2007 by gwen0

88. Avril is so sexy, who cares?

Posted at 10:46PM on Jul 7th 2007 by EZDreamer

89. Last time I checked, humans had more than one language...hell, she comes from Canada, she should know this.
My 12 year old and 8 year old said both songs sounded alike...they never heard the older version before either. So what, doesn't mean that her stealing that was right.
Anyway, I'm tired of her. She's a poser and I think Conway Twitty could beat her ass. I'm so happy she's a "princess" and we're just the locals.

Posted at 9:38PM on Jul 7th 2007 by Amanda

90. Avril is a fraud and turd nicely rolled into one.

Posted at 9:56PM on Jul 7th 2007 by TMZ_User

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