For years one of my favorite songs has long been Mickey Dolenz’ Randy Scouse Git. He wrote it in 1967, and it appeared on the Monkees’ Headquarters album.
Just today I listened to that song, and then to another one of my favorite songs, El Paso written and recorded by Marty Robbins in 1959. Since I didn’t know any other songs by Marty Robbins, I looked him up on the Wikipedia.
I learned there that one of his other most popular songs, also written and recorded in 1959, was called Big Iron. I had never heard of that song, so I went over to YouTube to hear what it sounded like.
And I discovered that the main melodic line and rhythm of Randy Scouse Git is an exact copy of Big Iron. From a musical perspective, it could almost have been the same song with an alternate title.
Now I am left wondering several things. Was Mickey Dolenz consciously aware of Big Iron (it was released only eight years before his own song), or was this a case of unconscious copying?
And just how often does this kind of thing happen?