Did Owl City borrow from Toto?
As heard on this week’s Radio Happy Hour!
Owl City has be blazing the charts with their hit song “Fireflies,” but is there something in the melody that sounds familiar?
Doc Blogstein: Music Detective thinks it sounds suspiciously like Toto’s “Africa”.
Hear for yourself and tell us what YOU think:
December 6th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Ha ha for sure!! Same thing I was thinking the 2nd time I heard the song. I will admit I like the song, and the I gotta say the big reason is the part that is borrowed from Africa. Different key, but everything else is the same. Its cool though, they did it in a decent song and in a cool way so I’m okay with it. Unlike Coldplay blatantly ripping off Santriani. They need to give Satriani credit. I happen to like the Coldplay song as well, but right is right and they need to stand up and admit they borrowed from Joe. The proof is there. But as for Owl City I like it and I like this song. Oh yeah I happen to be from MN too..but not a factor here. I’m a huge music fan and listen to tons of different stuff. From MPLS now in Denver, I’ve lived in to great music towns.
December 7th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Dr. B,
Your dectective ears were right on the money with this one. I immediately thought “Toto” when I heard the Fireflies song. It’s just the chords, melody, and phrasing of that one phrase when Mr. Owl City is singing “earth turns slowly”.
I certainly wouldn’t call it an illegal copyright infringement by any means, but (regardless of whether it was an intentional homage to Toto or just coincidence) it does have that same feeling… good work to you! And good work to both Owl City and Toto for creating enjoyable music.
Jerry
December 7th, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Thank you, Jerry! Your encouragement will keep my ears out there searching for more musical borrowing!
December 20th, 2009 at 9:43 am
I agree with you 100% Dr Blogstein! Every time I hear that melody in Fireflies, I compulsively sing the “dudu dun dun dudu dub duuuuu” part of Toto’s Africa after it, and my buddy Scott dies laughing. He’s a child of the eighties and a huge music fan as well.
December 20th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
you’re a smart man, Brad with a discerning ear.
January 10th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Come on, dude….You’re reaching real hard for this one. You totally blew you case when you put the tracks on top of each other. There is definitely a similarity there, but there’s no way Owl City was thinking of that song when “Fireflies” was written.
January 27th, 2010 at 4:53 am
Yes. Exactly what i thought when i first heard the song. Not bad though.
cheers