OlderAvril Lavigne Addresses Songwriting Scandal
On her official website, Avril Lavigne addresses the legal action that is being taken against her for stealing a song. Check it out:
To my dear media, friends, and fans,
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.
And slap in the face #2
I was going to be the bigger person and not reply when I read Chantal Kreviazuk’s article in Performing Songwriter magazine. Now that all the media have caught on to her little interview, I need to speak. Chantal’s comments are damaging to my reputation and a clear defamation of my character and I am considering taking legal action. Chantal has accused me of taking a song idea from her because I happen to have a song on my new record with the same title.
For the record, I wrote a song with Evan Taubenfeld which coincidentally has the same title as a song Chantal had sent me a few years ago. Our songs have no similarities and opposite meanings, i.e. different lyrics, different melody, different genres. In Chantal’s own words “the only similarity is in the title.” I originally wrote this with Evan for his record and I ended up with it. Funny enough when I decided to put “Contagious” on my album we had to change the words from “she” to “he” in order for it to work on my record. There are hundreds of songs out there with the title “Contagious,” 75+ on iTunes alone.
Chantal has also made false accusations about my writing skills. I am so over this topic. This letter is not about this. I am not going to sit here and defend my writing skills. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I know who I am and what I have done and accomplished and no one can take that away from me.
My decision to discontinue working with Chantal after co-writing together on my second record was simply based on the fact that we had no hits together. That is why her name is not on this record, despite her numerous attempts to be included, which were always denied. From my perspective this is a clear case of bitterness. Chantal is upset that she didn’t get to be a part of my record. She did email me after the article came out apologizing and I forgive her but I have to put the truth out there so my fans are not confused by these false accusations.
Let it be crystal clear that I have not ripped anyone off or done anything wrong. I have never had to deal with anything publicly like this and surely never wanted to. I do not deserve this negative press and attention. I take pride in the songs that I write and appreciate the opportunities to work with some great writers and musicians.
My fans have been so dedicated to my music and it is because of them that I have this amazing career. Thank you again to my fans for continuing to be so supportive. This is a very positive time for me in my life. I have a very successful career and I feel very lucky to have accomplished all that I have. I am so thankful every day.
I would like to say more but my lawyers have advised me not to. Why is it when you get to a certain level people want to attack you?…. and now I have said my piece.
Avril
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55 Comments
we love you avril!!!!!!!!!!
I’m glad Avril decided to clear the air. Some people are really just out to get her and profit from it.
I believe the girl. Ironically I thought her second album that didn’t produce any hits with the mass public was easily her best and most mature cd to listen to. Either way she’s talented I doubt this will hurt her
Glad someone loves her because I sure don’t, she just annoys the heck out of me, I think the song totally sounds like a rip-off!!I just kind of wish she and her husband would just settle down and fade away forever.
I do believe her but who cares about this “issue”? She is just making it into an even bigger deal by responding.
I would still totally do her.
I don’t know about the plagarism of the song, but I do have to say that the girlfriend song is extremely similar to that of the one written about by the Rubinoons. Just download it and listen and you’ll see that this is more than a coincidence. Also, it wasn’t only the band that has made mention of the similarities between the two songs. I heard that one of the reviewers for Rolling Stone magazine also made that identification before this lawsuit broke. So before we go around taking Avril’s word for it, I think we need to listen to both songs and see then we can make our judgement.
AVRIL LAVIGNE = HIPOCRETE.
i dislike avril immensely, but jared, i believe she did use “piece” correctly.
yeah, uh huh, i really believe you… (yes, that is sarcasm at it’s best~!)
While I hate to defend a serial spitter such as Avril, her use of “piece” is correct. “Peace” is wrong. From Dictionary.com: “speak one’s piece, to express one’s opinion; reveal one’s thoughts upon a subject: ‘I decided to speak my piece whether they liked it or not.’”
Do you notice how she say to media, first. Fans are last.
I listened to both songs in questions and they’re extremely similar. I’m sure anyone who has listened to both songs will agree that Avril must have either copied or been inspired immensely by the ORIGINAL song from the 70s. I bet she thought she could get away with it. Shame.
Jade, you’re absolutely correct!! Thanks!!
I do not believe her at all! Both songs are extremely familier for it to just be a ‘coincidence’.
Well it seems most people are deaf, in here…
listen to this : http://youtube.com/watch?v=w3rZEuR242Y
Poor Avril Lavigne crying for her innocence… I hope this experience will make her start writing serious music instead of inconsistant poppy tunes for 13 yo…
I love the fact so many people are falling for nice mama’s boys acting badass (Timberlake) and nice papa’s little daughters with a stinky punky act…
Ironically, they all make Britney Spears look so rebellious, these days…
She’s stil around? :|
She’ll probably spit on them and flick them off. Oh noes.
hahahaha!
Avril is a ****** retarded *****,I never believe she could write anything, that media *****!
Shame on you avril!
Maybe now she get out of our lives!
Already heard the Rubinos’ version, and the chorus is too eeriely similar. The titles alone are kinda weird. Besides, she’s always been plagued by such accusations–that she never wrote her own songs–i.e. when the Matrix used to work for her. And now, Chantal, probably one of the better and well-known songwriters out there has spoken out against her. For a twenty-something year-old, she still acts like a 12-year-old. She needs to grow up. And yeah, she’s pseudo-punk. Actual punks listen to Fugazi, not some poser. She’s just like Britney, just another manufactured pop tw@t.
I’m not surprised that Avril only cares about scoring hits. I actually think her second album is her best. Her new one is definitely a step back. Team Chantal!
AVRIL IS LOSER AND I HEARD BOTH SONGS ON TMZ.COM AND YES, SHE MOST DEFINITLEY DID STEAL THE SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE LYRICS AND MUSIC ARE INDENTICAL MY ASS SHE WROTE THE SONG!!!!!!!!
LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HER CREDIBILITY IS SHOT
Avril is a skater punk (no , really–she has the clothes to prove it. She doesn’t really wear the skater punk clothes anymore because she moved on to her newer image, but during the first album I swear she was really a skater punk), so she has got cred. She knows music, just ask David Bowie (only make sure “Bowie” is pronounced like “Maui” with a “B”).
She WAS a skater punk. You pointed it out yourself that she moved onto her new image. And that doesn’t mean she automatically gets cred. She has absolutely no talent whatsoever.
Other than that, her song ‘Girlfriend’ is mind-blowing. I can’t believe someone could actually “write” a song that idiotic. The song, ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend’, however, is amazing.
Avril needs to get her OWN style and lyrics. I know that many artist use other musician’s style and then conjoin it with their own style, but Avril didn’t. Ever heard of ‘Hollaback Girl’ by Gwen Stefani? All Avirl did was rip off Gwen’s background beats and just mixed it into her pathetic song, she calls ‘Girlfriend’ (which is completely creepy if you actually listen to the lyrics, it’s not cute, at ALL). Now I hear about the whole lyric scandal, and it comes to my mind that she not only partially ripped off someone’s music, but partially ripped off the Rubinoo’s lyrics. Pathetic.
I meant ‘you’ as Mickey.
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