Songs with similar or same melodies?

Morgan Scoggins · Post by **Morgan Scoggins** » 24 May 2010 7:00 am

I guess that everyone that has played steel guitar or regular six string guitar knows that the chord progression and the melody of " Honkey Tonk Angels","I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes","Great Speckled Bird",'Wild Side of Life" and many others is virtually the same. If you can play one song, you can play the others. I have also seen similar melodies for " He Stopped Loving Her Today" and " Help Me Make It Through The Night".
Someone on this forum , a few months ago, mentioned the two songs "Anytime" and "Right or Wrong" as being almost identical.
When I first started playing steel guitar, I was learning a Herb Remington arrangement of an old 1957 hit by Bobby Helms called "Fraulien".I kept hearing the notes to "Farewell Party" on the intro and I was quickly able to make a few changes here and there and I learned a new song in a very short time.
I am wondering about other such songs that are similar or virtually identical to some other song. I'm sure a lot of you have some answers.

Rich Gardner · Post by **Rich Gardner** » 24 May 2010 8:26 am

The intro to A Mansion on the Hill and the intro to The Old Rugged Cross are alike enough that I really have to stop and think. Confusion reigns.
RG

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 24 May 2010 8:51 am

Compare the intro on "Little Rosewood Casket" to a slowed down version of Wynn Stewart's "Wishful Thinking" as recorded by Jim Campilongo.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 24 May 2010 9:30 am

I wish I could think of the title, but Marty Stewart has a song which has the same melody of Ernest Tubb's "Thanks a Lot"........

The oldie horn instrumental "Tuff" is the same melody as "Columbus Stockade Blues" but slowed way down.............JH in Va.

Richard Damron · Post by **Richard Damron** » 24 May 2010 9:46 am

Willie Nelson copywrited "Healing Hands Of Time" in 1963.

Mickey Newberry copywrited "Sweet Memories" in 1968.

Virtually note for note.

Go figger.

Tracy Sheehan · Post by **Tracy Sheehan** » 24 May 2010 9:57 am

Reminds me of what Grandpa Jones used to say when some one told him they had just wrote a new song.
Fine. whats it the tune to?

David Nugent · Post by **David Nugent** » 24 May 2010 9:58 am

Marty Stuart performed a sort of blues flavored song on last Saturday's show that has the identical melody to Muddy Water's "Got My Mojo Working". Was curious on how many of you blues buffs picked up on that one.

William Lake · Post by **William Lake** » 24 May 2010 10:59 am

Don't forget those two great jazz classics
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and The Alphabet Song.

Morgan Scoggins · Post by **Morgan Scoggins** » 24 May 2010 11:57 am

Hey Jerry,
Thanks for bringing up a memory of an old early 60's classic "Tuff" by Ace Cannon.
I played bass for years and "Tuff" was one of the instrumentals we did. I haven't picked up a bass in several years, but I could easily remember that bass line from "Tuff" that was used in countless songs recorded in the late 50's and 60's.
By the way, the last time I heard anything about Ace Cannon, He was very ill. Does anyone have any updates?

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 24 May 2010 1:08 pm

May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister-or-Red River Valley. Now who gets the Royality check?

Ethan Shaw · Post by **Ethan Shaw** » 24 May 2010 2:07 pm

Waylon's Old Friend and Bob Wills is Still the King are almost identical. In Don't Cuss the Fiddle, Willie and Waylon make fun of their own penchant for re-using melodies.

Pete Young · Post by **Pete Young** » 24 May 2010 2:12 pm

How about Linda on my mind and the Grand tour. Just minor changes Don't think of the other when you are playing one or you are into it lol.

Alvin Blaine · Post by **Alvin Blaine** » 24 May 2010 2:21 pm

Joe Miraglia wrote:May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister-or-Red River Valley. Now who gets the Royality check?

You can add the Tommy Duncan & Bob Wills song "Time Changes Everything" to that list. It's just a swing version of Red River Valley.

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 24 May 2010 2:26 pm

Jerry Hayes wrote:I wish I could think of the title, but Marty Stewart has a song which has the same melody of Ernest Tubb's "Thanks a Lot"........
JH in Va.

You may be thinking of "Tempted?"

Also, "Wahoo" by The Hoosier Hotshots, and "Lady Be Good" by the brothers Gershwin are nearly identical, except for the B section.

Billy Tonnesen · Post by **Billy Tonnesen** » 24 May 2010 2:32 pm

Elvis Presley's hit "Love Me Tender" is the exact melody of an old Civil War song called "Aura Lee".

Scott Shipley · Post by **Scott Shipley** » 24 May 2010 2:46 pm

The "Largo" movement from Dvorak's "New World Symphony #9" and "Going Home."

Bill Cutright · Post by **Bill Cutright** » 24 May 2010 4:12 pm

The last line of "Crazy" (and probably it's most identifiable phrase) is he same line in "The Chair".

Stuart Legg · Post by **Stuart Legg** » 24 May 2010 4:39 pm

Is this a hint that folks will get the songs mixed up if I don't learn more than THE one intro and solo I use for all classic country? I'll Pack my stuff and leave. I don't need that hassle.

Harry Dove · Post by **Harry Dove** » 24 May 2010 6:20 pm

I played in a bluegrass band for a few years. I think I only had to learn 4 or 5 songs. After that only the words or the tempo changed. LOL

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 24 May 2010 10:47 pm

John Prine had two songs with exactly the same verse melody on his untitled debut album. One was "Your flag decal won't get you into heaven", not sure about the other one.

Dale Bessant · Post by **Dale Bessant** » 25 May 2010 4:06 am

Wasnt there a mate to Kitty Wells "I Didn't Know God Made Honky Tonk Angels"? by Mr. Acuff ?... or vice versa? ...cant seem to recall the title but somebody out there will. I'm sure..... $:\$

Per Berner · Post by **Per Berner** » 25 May 2010 4:18 am

... I read somewhere that George Jones, probably ever so slightly under the influence, while recording "He stopped loving her today" kept on singing it to the melody of "Help me make it through the night"... but obviously Billy Sherrill had the patience (and gallons of strong coffee) needed to finally get it right...

Morgan Scoggins · Post by **Morgan Scoggins** » 25 May 2010 7:14 am

Hey Dale,
Hank Thompsom first recorded "Wild Side of Life", a.k.a "Honkey Tonk Angels". Kitty's song, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honkey Tonk Angels", was a response to Hank's song.

Brint Hannay · Post by **Brint Hannay** » 25 May 2010 7:59 am

Alvin Blaine wrote:
Joe Miraglia wrote:May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister-or-Red River Valley. Now who gets the Royality check?
You can add the Tommy Duncan & Bob Wills song "Time Changes Everything" to that list. It's just a swing version of Red River Valley.

Got to say, I don't hear that.

I don't know a way to post the quite different melody lines, but even progression-wise:

Red River Valley
1-5-1-1
1-1-5-5
1-17-4-4
5-5-1-1

Time Changes Everything
1-1-5-5
5-5-1-1
1-17-4-4
1-5-1-1

The first two lines are so different that they can hardly be called the same tune, IMO.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 25 May 2010 8:32 am

Three Elvis hits were based on traditional folk melodies:

It's Now or Never = O' Sole Mio

Love Me Tender = Aura Lee

Can't Help Falling in Love = Plaisir d'amour

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Songs with similar or same melodies?

Songs with similar or same melodies?

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