Same Tune, Different Song: Musical Similarities Throughout Pop Culture

By Denise Warner Posted May 22nd 2010 01:00PM

Last weekend, I attended my friend's graduation from the University of Akron's law school. At the end of the ceremony, we were asked to stand and sing the alma mater.

Having never attended the school, I didn't know the song. Or did I?

When the orchestra cued up, to my surprise, I had heard it before. Sure the lyrics were different -- but it was unmistakable to anyone who had ever carried a watermelon. Akron's alma mater is set to the same tune as 'Kellerman's Anthem' from 'Dirty Dancing.'

I'm not kidding. Check It Out

The University of Akron Alma Mater

'Kellerman's Anthem'

But the 'Dirty Dancing'-Akron connection isn't the only instance of musical copycats in pop culture. Coincidentally, a day before this realization, I heard 'Maryland, My Maryland,' while watching the Preakness. It sounds an awful lot like 'O, Christmas Tree.' (Or 'O, Tannenbaum' for the more traditional types out there.)

'Maryland, My Maryland'

'O, Christmas Tree'

Elvis may have been a groundbreaker, but 'It's Now or Never' was nothing new. It's derivative of 'O Sole Mio.'

'It's Now or Never'

'O Sole Mio'

Even kids' melodies stay the same -- for example, 'The Alphabet Song' and 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.'

'The Alphabet Song'

'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'

Schools seems to be a big culprit of this trend. The University of Virginia's 'The Good Old Song' could be sung at midnight on New Year's Day and no one would be the wiser.

'The Good Old Song'

'Auld Lang Syne'

In fact, my own university's alma mater doubles as the German national anthem. (This technically has no pop culture significance, but I'm being indulgent, so bear with me.)

'Stand, Columbia'

Germany's National Anthem

And, of course, there's the whole 'God Save the Queen' and 'America' debacle. Yes, we have the 'Star-Spangled Banner,' but it's still weird sharing a song with another country.

'God Save the Queen'

'America'

The lesson here being that it's not just movies and TV shows that borrow heavily from each other. Can't think of your own melody? Take one from somewhere else and slap different words on it and boom. New song.

Tags: dirty dancing, Elvis Presley

Comments

(29)

Saturday 22 May

By Dan

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Here are other examples; BIG BOY PETE and THE JOLLY GREEN GIANT; AURA LEE and LOVE ME TENDER; SWEET LITTLE 16 and SURFING USA. TA RA RA BOOM DE YAY and IT'S HOWDY DOODY TIME; THIS OLD MAN and the BARNEY theme song ... I'm sure there's more that I haven't thought of!

Sunday 23 May

By nugg65

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seems odd to me that they didn't include the famous "Pachabel Rant" that showcases many different songs to the same tune. Poor research I guess because it would have summed up his story with just one video. Google it and you'll see what I'm talking about.

By bzzz

Another one: Christmas song 'What Child is This?' and 'Greensleeves'. And 'A Lover's Concerto' by the Toys is set to Bach's 'Minuet in G Minor'.

By Jeff

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Regarding the Star Spangled Banner, if memory serves the Francis Scott Key poem was set to the music of an English song called Anacreon something-or-other. Just a tidbit recalled from a radio program called "Adventures in Good Music."

By Charmaine

Just to let you know, the alma mater song is pretty universal. My high school, Pensacola High School, has the same tune-different lyrics.

By KW

My high school had the same alma mater, too. I think I can still play it on the clarinet....

By Rae

University of Missouri uses the same tune (Kellermans/Dirty Dancing) for the alma mater song.

By kingel

They've got it slightly wrong about It's now or never. Elvis fell in love with a song called There's no Tomorrow by Tony Martin while in the army. That song was english words to the O Sole Mio music. Elvis even recorded himself singing it on a taperecorder in the barracks. When Elvis got out of the army, he suggested to one of his Hill and Range songwriters Wally Gold that a new song be written in english with that melody. Gold and another guy wrote Its Now or Never which became the largest worldwide hit ever at the time. So really- it based on a song that was based on O Sole Mio

By geokaz

The same can be said for Elvis' "Surrender" is from the Italian song "Return To Sorrento", and “Can’t Help Falling in Love”…in reality, Martini & Martini’s “Plaisir d’Amour”.

By Scott

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Also Mac Davis's "Oh Lord It's Hard to be Humble" is the same tune as the Mexican Hat Dance.

By Moochamoocha

The songs 'The Ants Go Marching' and 'Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye' have the same tune.

By DT

The same tune as Akron and Dirty Dancing can also be heard in the final song of the movie Shag with Phoebe Cates and Annabeth Gish when the four girls sing the high school song.

By d$

Though not exactly the same, I always thought that Janet Jackson's "Escapade" was essentially remade a few years later when she did "Runaway".

By Kat

I went to the University of Akron, and like UA, my sorority had a song to the same tune. Oddly enough, my high schools alma mater was too!

By Wanda

I think it's probably no accident that The ABC song and Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star are the same tune. It's just an easy melody for toddlers to remember.

By Jill

Written by Mozart

By L

PLAY THEM ALL AT ONCE. IT ROCKS!!!

By acn

john browns body battle hymn of the republic lover girl i'm not
the same girl night lights went out in georgia jesus take the wheel

By Ray

Here's one for you: "Hail, hail, the gangs all here" shares the same tune as "With catlike tread", from the Gilbert & Sullivan musical "Pirates of Penzance".

By Bunnyfluff

I wouldn't call 'America' (My Country 'Tis of Thee) a debacle - it was a deliberate copy of 'God Save the King' (or Queen, if you prefer) as...a protest song.

Back when we were still under the cold, unrelenting thumb of the British Crown, we changed the lyrics to an ode to America, instead of a heaping blessings upon a King and country that we really didn't like.

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