The Accidental Lyricist | A-Lyric.com

Belgian songwriter wins plagiarism suit against Madonna

November 18, 2005
by The Accidental Lyricist

It has just been announced that the Belgian composer Salvatore Acquaviva has won a long-standing fight claiming that Madonna’s 1998 hit "Frozen" from the "Ray of Light" album plagiarised one of his songs. The court in the Belgian town of Mons has ordered that the record company remove all copies of the song within 15 days. It was not announced whether Acquaviva has been awarded damages or not, which could
be very substantial in this case.

Claims of plagiarism are relatively frequent, and not always founded. Not having heard Acquaviva’s track, A-Lyric reserves judgment.

politics

French rap: “they should have listened”

November 16, 2005August 28, 2020
by The Accidental Lyricist

The ongoing riots and protests in France (2005) were foreseen. That is the feeling amongst many rappers in the country. Already ten years ago, bands such as IAM and MC Solaar were sending out warning signals. More radical groups such as NTM were even brought to court for their confrontational style.

And now, when it’s too late, the media are saying that the signals were all there to be seen. To quote the BBC: “Today many French rappers are saying that if only their words had been listened to, the suburban violence might never have occurred. ‘Instead of sleeping in the national assembly, government ministers should have listened to our albums. It’s the youth of France talking,’ said Rim-K of 113.

news

Kate Bush on lyrics and diarrhoea

November 8, 2005February 26, 2019
by The Accidental Lyricist

Little boy reviewers worldwide are quivering: a new Kate Bush album has been released. Why quiver? This article on OHM is a good summary of the Bush phenomenon – or rather the relationship of little boys to the mystery woman. Yet this image is misleading at best, as she demonstrates when talking about lyrics and diarrhea.

news

Patti Labelle: “lyrics aren’t there anymore”

November 7, 2005October 1, 2008
by The Accidental Lyricist

Patti has been turning out hits since the early sixties, and is still touring today. “Lady Marmelade (Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?)” was her steam-rolling hit from 1975. In an article in The Washington Post, Labelle had this to say about today’s scene: “The music has started to suck. No, maybe it doesn’t suck, it’s just redundant. It starts with one verse, and that same verse, that’s all you hear. You wouldn’t know what the title of the song was today. The Burt Bacharachs, Curtis Mayfields — they wrote the kind of lyrics that aren’t there anymore.” Full story here.

protest

Former Salt’n Pepa star speaks out against misogynist lyrics

November 3, 2005January 2, 2012
by The Accidental Lyricist

Echoing a sentiment that has already been voiced many times across Africa, Cheryl “Salt” James is joining other Hip-Hop celebrities in encouraging people to speak out against misogynist lyrics. Speaking at a college debate on Hip-Hop, she is reported by Associated Press as saying, “The microphone is very effective. Life and death is in the power of the tongue. Each individual has to realize they can affect a mass amount of people.”

During the event a the Spelman College in the US, MC Lyte called on those attending to speak out against the negative image of women portrayed in rap, and write to the relevant record companies.

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meanings

Franz Ferdinand: What does it all mean?

October 28, 2005February 26, 2019
by The Accidental Lyricist

Scottish band Franz Ferdinand have been on the rise for a year or two already. Their bright slightly retro sound caught the attention of radio programmers in the UK, Europe and subsequently the US. But if you’re having problems working out the lyrics, you’re not the only one. Although the band assure people that there are specific meanings to their words, they are – at the very least – obscure.

Author: The Accidental Lyricist