Earlier this week we joined every other music website in existence in reporting on an alleged lawsuit involving Lana Del Rey — who plays TD Garden this Saturday — and Radiohead. By now, you know the details: Del Rey tweeted that Radiohead are suing her over similarities between her 2017 song “Get Free” and the ‘Head’s “Creep.”
But not so fast, says Camp Radiohead.
According to Pitchfork, a Radiohead rep has refuted Del Rey’s claim.
“As Radiohead’s music publisher, it’s true that we’ve been in discussions since August of last year with Lana Del Rey’s representatives. It’s clear that the verses of ‘Get Free’ use musical elements found in the verses of ‘Creep’ and we’ve requested that this be acknowledged in favour of all writers of ‘Creep.’ To set the record straight, no lawsuit has been issued and Radiohead have not said they ‘will only accept 100%’ of the publishing of ‘Get Free.'”
So we’ll see.
This will likely be settled outside the courts, and at some point we’ll probably read Thom Yorke and company’s names next to the songwriting credits for “Get Free.” While we await that pixie dust to settle, let’s revisit “The Air That I Breathe” made famous by ’60s pop group The Hollies, whose songwriters Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood claimed were themselves ripped off by “Creep.” After their own lawsuit, Hammond and Hazlewood were awarded co-songwriting credits on Radiohead’s breakthrough song.
Get free, indeed.