Toby Keith a plagiarist? Listen for YOURSELF, then decide...

st.somewhere · Post by **st.somewhere** » March 31, 2005 1:53 am

This question was raised last week, but most people couldn't really comment because they had never heard Michael McCloud's song "Tourist Town Bar". SweetMellissa sent me a CD with his "plagirized" song on it. I stripped it, converted it to MP3 and hosted it on the web.

You can listen to each song and decide for youself if Toby is a lowly music stealin' pirate by simply clicking on the images or links below.

*** The Michael McCloud song has a file size of almost 8 MB even though it's in MP3 format. So depending on your connection speed it may take a minute or two to download.


[center][url=http://calpyso-poet.com/noise/TobyKeith ... hisBar.mp3]I LOVE THIS BAR	[center][url=http://calpyso-poet.com/noise/MichaelMc ... ownBar.mp3]TOURIST TOWN BAR

Desdamona · Post by **Desdamona** » March 31, 2005 2:15 am

I don't see it. If anything, they both remind
me of "I Have Found Me a Home"

F1NZZZ · Post by **F1NZZZ** » March 31, 2005 7:20 am

Not even close. Dudes just looking to make a quick $.

sonofabeach · Post by **sonofabeach** » March 31, 2005 8:17 am

Thanks for posting the link to his song. I'd heard so much about this guy but after finally hearing him "sing" I must say that he couldn't carry a tune with a forklift.
Just because Toby happened to use a couple of the same words that McCloud used in his generic sounding song it is not grounds for a lawsuit. If that were the case then Jimmy could sue a lot of artists.
I agree that he's just trying to make a buck.
As for the supposed lawsuit,I'm sure it makes a good story before he bores the crowd with the song.

nycparrothead · Post by **nycparrothead** » March 31, 2005 8:18 am

PHBeerman · Post by **PHBeerman** » March 31, 2005 9:35 am

Does that guy sell many CDs?

Desdamona · Post by **Desdamona** » March 31, 2005 12:16 pm

Michael McCloud is a Key West institution. He's a school teacher
who "works" on his away-from-the-classroom time to entertain the barflies
and tourists at Schooner Wharf nearly every day. He's fun to have as
background music while you enjoy your KW experience, but nobody ever
said he was a great singer or musician. He has been at it so long, he even
gets away with being rude to his "fans" if they call out requests! He's like a
lot of Key West, far from perfect, but perfect for the location/occation.
It kind of surprises me that he's persuing this plaigarism claim.

PHBeerman · Post by **PHBeerman** » March 31, 2005 12:21 pm

Desdamona wrote:Michael McCloud is a Key West institution. He's a school teacher
who "works" on his away-from-the-classroom time to entertain the barflies
and tourists at Schooner Wharf nearly every day. He's fun to have as
background music while you enjoy your KW experience, but nobody ever
said he was a great singer or musician. He has been at it so long, he even
gets away with being rude to his "fans" if they call out requests! He's like a
lot of Key West, far from perfect, but perfect for the location/occation.
It kind of surprises me that he's persuing this plaigarism claim.

I would be willing to bet that it is very political in nature.

Elrod · Post by **Elrod** » March 31, 2005 12:34 pm

I've enjoyed hearing Michael sing at Schooner Wharf several times but listening to this song reminds me of one thing: I really drink a lot in Key West.

I don't hear anything that sounds like it was stolen from Tourist Town Bar.

There is one great line in Michael's song: "... singin' other people's songs in this ole' tourist town bar"

meisinger · Post by **meisinger** » March 31, 2005 2:33 pm

sonofabeach wrote:Thanks for posting the link to his song. I'd heard so much about this guy but after finally hearing him "sing" I must say that he couldn't carry a tune with a forklift.

I agree. Toby Keith can't sing.

SweetMelissa · Post by **SweetMelissa** » March 31, 2005 2:59 pm

Glad you got it St. Somewhere

Pirate Lookin' at 40 · Post by **Pirate Lookin' at 40** » March 31, 2005 7:58 pm

Toby Keith is one of the very few bright spots in todays country music enviornment. His fued with the Dixie Chicks forever put them in the "where are they now" category, and I for one will be forever grateful. As far as this goes, any song that you could name, there is another song similar somewhere.

Key Lime Lee · Post by **Key Lime Lee** » March 31, 2005 8:40 pm

Desdamona wrote:Michael McCloud is a Key West institution. He's a school teacher
who "works" on his away-from-the-classroom time to entertain the barflies
and tourists at Schooner Wharf nearly every day. He's fun to have as
background music while you enjoy your KW experience, but nobody ever
said he was a great singer or musician. He has been at it so long, he even
gets away with being rude to his "fans" if they call out requests! He's like a
lot of Key West, far from perfect, but perfect for the location/occation.
It kind of surprises me that he's persuing this plaigarism claim.

Well, considering that royalties from songwriting can generate millions of dollars, if he really feels it was plagerized why would it surprise you?

Clearly there's nothing melodically stolen from tourist town bar, but the lyrics certainly seem to bear some resemblence to the structure and themes of the verses of TTB. It's not a clear-cut case, but considering he can demonstrate TK's access to the song, he might at least get partial credit.

If I write a song called "Margarita Escape" and the first verse is "Eating key lime pie, observing the drunk guys, all these people burned to the core, playing my guitar, sleeping under stars, cooking up shrimp I bought at the shore" there's gonna be a lawsuit (and not just for bad lyrics).

springparrot · Post by **springparrot** » March 31, 2005 8:54 pm

Key Lime Lee wrote: [

If I write a song called "Margarita Escape" and the first verse is "Eating key lime pie, observing the drunk guys, all these people burned to the core, playing my guitar, sleeping under stars, cooking up shrimp I bought at the shore" there's gonna be a lawsuit (and not just for bad lyrics).

Lee---you have put some thought into this

FFishstick · Post by **FFishstick** » March 31, 2005 8:57 pm

The Michael McCloud song is much more entertaining than that idiot with two first names. I could see Jimmy covering the McCloud song, he'd do it justice. Screw Keith Toby .... or is it the other way around? We need more Michael McClouds in this world.

Crazy Navy Flyer · Post by **Crazy Navy Flyer** » March 31, 2005 9:05 pm

TK doesn't need to plagarize other singer's songs. There is a great interview with him in the January 2005 Playboy, I recommend it to those anti TK.

I've met and drank with MM, he's a good guy and a great song writer, spent an afternoon swapping stories about the 70's and his adventures in SE Asia.

FF, Keith is his middle name, he dropped the last name. Why the hatred?

Pirate Lookin' at 40 · Post by **Pirate Lookin' at 40** » March 31, 2005 9:05 pm

Lee - you should be a songwriter, maybe even for KC.
While I am a TK fan, I really dislike this particular song.

lookingat40 · Post by **lookingat40** » March 31, 2005 9:56 pm

Don't think Toby plagarized the song...I like it...even his singing...but maybe David Allan Coe should sue...I mean "Longhaired Redneck" mentions a bar with bikers and hippies...lol

msu#1 · Post by **msu#1** » March 31, 2005 10:28 pm

the lyrics are close enough that depending on the Judge I think he can win, saying that I've always thought Mccloud sucked, he cant sing and his rude attitude really put me off when I was there......but he still didnt p*** me off as much as that Jackass Jarod who signs early in the night at Irish Kevins. The guy said some nasty stuff to the girl I was with and then called me a "Nsync Boy". He's lucky he was the guy onstage and not some jackass at the bar because he would have gotten a right jab.

SweetMelissa · Post by **SweetMelissa** » March 31, 2005 10:32 pm

msu#1 wrote:the lyrics are close enough that depending on the Judge I think he can win, saying that I've always thought Mccloud sucked, he cant sing and his rude attitude really put me off when I was there......but he still didnt p*** me off as much as that Jackass Jarod who sings early in the night at Irish Kevins. The guy said some nasty stuff to the girl I was with and then called me a "Nsync Boy". He's lucky he was the guy onstage and not some jackass at the bar because he would have gotten a right jab.

I HATE that guy!!! He made some off color remarks to me as well in front of my dad even!

And I can take a good b@@b comment (i'm used to it) as well as anyone but he was an a$$ PERV! I'm glad someone else didn't like him that makes me feel better!