Style marker
Single falsetto note
[Little Richard] would say, 'I taught Paul everything he knows'. [...] I had to admit he was right.
— Paul McCartney, Twitter (2020)
Paul McCartney sometimes sings a single note in falsetto, in imitation of Little Richard who did it before him.
The Beatles are one of my favorite groups.
— Michelle Branch, website bio (2001)
Connection
These songs share
- The key of E minor
- Verse melodies that alternate 2̂ and 3̂ in a similar rhythmic pattern
- Lyrical reference to a gun, unusual in the work of Michelle Branch
Connection
These songs share
- A lyric
- A sequence on the word "waterfalls" that descends from 7̂ to 6̂ and then to 5̂ (though the 7̂ is flat in McCartney's case)
AV Club: TLC ripped off Paul McCartney? I had no idea!
Paul McCartney: I think so.
— AV Club interview (2007)
Connection
I see critics compare me to Elton John, I see Harry Chapin, and I go 'No, no, it's McCartney.'
— Billy Joel, New York Times interview (1978)
Connection
Points of connection
- Both songs are in the key of A and share a single rhythmically-identical pentatonic melody line (highlighted)
- Phonetically similar lyrics in the same rhythmic positions ("thought I knew"/"think I need", "an[swer]"/"an[ything]")