Am I the only person who thinks that Bob Seger stole "Night Moves" from Dobie Grey's "Drift Away"?

Question

Think of it......three years before "night moves", Grey came out
with "Drift Away", which has the exact same theme of lost youth,
melancholia, ect, but most of all, the same vocal, in sound, timbre,
etc., Think of the beginning, and the slow build-up, just like night moves.........the reoccuring chorus with the soulful black chick chorus.....now, I'm not saying it was a DIRECT rip-off...Night Moves is a classic song in its own right...it's just that its patently
obvious that "Drift Away" was a big time influence, and, sonsidering, it charted at #5 in the top ten, surely Seger was quite
familiar with it, being in the music industry himself. AND. the vocals
are spot-on similar, with the same yearning for wistful youth...
same with the lyrics......Drift away...in melancholy reminiscing of better, older days......
Both were great songs, but you have to admit that Drift Away,
being first, influenced Night Moves big time!

Day after day I'm more confused
Yet I look for the light
Through the pourin' rain
You know that's a game that I hate to lose
And I'm feeling the strain
Ain't it a shame

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I want to get lost in your rock and roll
And drift away
[repeat]

Beginning to think that I'm wasting time
I don't understand the things I do
The world outside looks so unkind
Now I'm counting on you
To carry me through

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I want to get lost in your rock and roll
And drift away
[repeat]

And when my mind is free
You know a melody can move me
And when I'm feeling blue
The guitar's coming through to soothe me

Thanks for the joy that you're given me
I want you to know I believe in your song
Your rythm and rhyme and harmony
You've helped me along
Makin' me strong

Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I want to get lost in your rock and roll
And drift away

was a little too tall
Could've used a few pounds
Tight pants points hardly reknown
She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes
And points all her own sitting way up high
Way up firm and high

Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy
Workin' on mysteries without any clues
Workin' on our night moves
Trying' to make some front page drive-in news
Workin' on our night moves in the summertime
In the sweet summertime

We weren't in love oh no far from it
We weren't searching for some pie in the sky summit
We were just young and restless and bored
Living by the sword
And we'd steal away every chance we could
To the backroom, the alley, the trusty woods
I used her she used me
But neither one cared
We were getting our share

Workin' on our night moves
Trying to lose the awkward teenage blues
Workin' on out night moves
In the summertime
And oh the wonder
Felt the lightning
And we waited

one last aside......though I love both,
night moves is searingly powerful..its almost like the melancholy rips right
through your soul..and what a great slow build-up in the beginning...." Was a little too tall, could've lost a few pounds..."...
but, best of all, near the end, the a capella
unaccompanied......"In the summertime,
sweet sweet summertime"...I remember
hearing that many years ago, and it just ripping through my soul with memories
of teen years lost forever....but indelibly etched on our souls for life!
....Sweet sweet summertime, indeed!"

http://www.superseventies.com/sw_driftaway.html

ooooppps, forgot to mention that "drift
away" has the same acapella unaccompanied vocal moment near the
final chorus, with just clapping........and I never thought of that till now.......now I
KNOW seger ripped off "Drift Away" to
create night moves lock, stock, and barrel!

I understand what you guys are saying, in an Ecceisaiastes, nothing new under the sun" way.....but try explaining it to the US
Patent office! LOL.......or george harrison,
bless his soul, if he was still with us.....
I'm saying that there is a VERY strong resemblance between the two songs.....
not even saying its a bad thing, just that
its highly likely that SEGER heard "Drift Away" a few years back, and took it in another direction.......Don't forget, Segers
songs do sound almost all the same......
one DJ spliced all his hits into one song that sounded like an actual single song,
and was quite hilarious...someone that devoid of ideas prob would be the type to rip-off wholesale a song like "Drift Away".
Just a thought.

Also, try using "creative plagiarism" as a
plea in any case against the wonderful
Walt Disney corporation, and watch as the lead counsel proceeds to chew a hole through your a s s! LOL

Wy, I think you could say that about every
rock sog...thibnk of it, isn't air guitar simply
a form of masturbation?

Answer 1

All popular culture is a matter of creative plagiarism-- everyhting is based on elements used before. And when it comes to songs ripping off other songs, there are much better examples than that. It's awfully vague.

Have you ever noticed the vocal similarity between Bob Seger and Little Richard?

Answer 2

Frankly I've Always Heard That Night Moves Is About Masturbation

Answer 3

I have to agree with Lulu, I see this all the time in songs, lyriclly as well as in tune.... there are so many songs out there and only so many notes to play them with. So odds are you're going to get a few dupilcates.

Same goes for subject matter.... there are so many repeating scenereos in people's lives, just because the same things happened to you as happened to me first, doesn't give you any less right to sing about it.

Answer 4

This happens all the time. There are SO many songs you could do this comparison with. I have to disagree.

Answer 5

yes