The saying ‘rip off’ is commonly used within the music industry. But there is a very fine line that artists must balance between taking inspiration and completely copying a riff. There are many examples of bands over the years who have made headlines for ripping off other artists, like Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses, or more recently Olivia Rodrigo and Paramore.
The Kinks’ Dave Davies recently answered a fan’s question on the X platform regarding the similarities between the band’s ‘Picture Book’ and Green Day’s ‘Warning.’ The fan’s question read:
“Speaking of which, what was your immediate reaction when you first heard of Green Day’s ‘Warning’? Was there any part of you that felt flattered that ‘Picture Book’ had helped inspired/influenced them?”
Dave’s short but direct response read:
“It was a bit obvious rip off.”
Although Davies made it clear that ‘Warning’ was a ‘rip off,’ The Kinks did not pursue the route of filing a lawsuit against Green Day. However Colin Merry, lead singer of Other Garden, had a bone to pick with ‘Warning.’
The singer songwriter claimed that the Green Day track was ripped off his own song ‘Never Got the Chance,’ which was a part of the band’s 1997 release ‘Extended Play.’ The singer even planned to sue Green Day back in 2001, but nothing official came of this rumor.
You can read Dave Davies’ tweet below. You can also listen to ‘Picture Book,’ ‘Never Got the Chance’ and watch the music video for ‘Warning’ below.
It was a bit obvious rip off https://t.co/vZ31w48akl
— Dave Davies (@davedavieskinks) September 25, 2023
