Inspired by the wild 1985 case where John Fogerty was sued for sounding like himself. I’d just had one of my own tracks flagged as a “cover” when it wasn’t — so this satirical swamp-rock tune was born. Brotherhood, betrayal, and a courtroom blues where the only crime is being yourself.

👉 Listen, laugh, and wonder: can you copyright a heartbeat?

Verse 1
We were saints in the spotlight, brothers in sound,
Rolling on a river till the tide turned around.
Bad moon rising on the edge of our fame,
One voice, one fire, one shared name.

Verse 2
But contracts cut deeper than blood ever could,
Paper and profit tore through brotherhood.
Said my echo was theft of the man I’d been,
Like an old man down the road come walking again.

Chorus
I plagiarized the man I used to be,
Sold myself the rights to my own melody.
You can jail my shadow, but you can’t own me,
If it’s a crime to be myself, throw away the key.

Verse 3
The jury leaned forward, pens scratching my fate,
Lawyers argued rhythm at a furious rate.
The judge tapped the gavel, said, “Sing us a line —
Have you ever seen the rain, and swear it is mine?”

Bridge
Can you copyright a heartbeat?
Can you trademark the sky?
If a song runs through the jungle,
Does the spirit still fly?

Verse 4
Now the spotlight is smaller, but it still burns true,
No label, no jury can tell me what to do.
The past keeps on echoing, but I walk my own run,
Still a fortunate son with the same old song.

Chorus
I plagiarized the man I used to be,
Sold myself the rights to my own melody.
You can jail my shadow, but you can’t own me,
If it’s a crime to be myself, throw away the key.




Crime to be Myself

Crime to be myself

Get Wet

The Nips Are Getting Bigger

Twentieth Century

Saturday Night (2011 Remastered)

Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia!

Saturday Night (2011 Remastered)

Cold Chisel

Related tracks