Awesome
This video returned to attention after the Ed Sheeran trial where he was found not guilty of plagiarizing a song by Marvin Gaye. It comes from an Australian comedy rock band with the great name of Axis of Awesome -- and was written 14 years earlier. They performed it here in 2009 at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Their premise is that there are only four chords that get repeated in every rock hit. And the group then goes on wonderfully to prove the point with a medley of 38 songs, all molded cleverly and seamlessly into one new song.
It's a hoot. And I don't even know most of the songs used.
Also amusing is that after the verdict, Sheeran made a statement that overlapped what Axis of Awesome performed over a decade earlier. (I wouldn't be surprised if the song came to his attention during the trial or perhaps even when researching its the defense.) “I feel like in the songwriting community, everyone sort of knows that there’s four chords primarily that are used and there’s eight notes,” Sheeran said. “We work with what we’ve got, with doing that.”
For those interested in following the bouncing lyrics, after the video I'll post all of the songs that are included.
And if a movie is ever made about Axios of Awesome, Jack Black is a shoe-in to star in
Journey - “Don't Stop Believing”
James Blunt - “You're Beautiful”
Alphaville - “Forever Young”
Jason Mraz - “I'm Yours”
Mika - “Happy Ending”
Alex Lloyd - “Amazing”
The Calling - “Wherever You Will Go”
Elton John - “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”
Maroon 5 - “She Will Be Loved”
The Last Goodnight - “Pictures Of You”
U2 - “With Or Without You”
Crowded House - “Fall At Your Feet”
Kasey Chambers - “Not Pretty Enough”
The Beatles - “Let It Be”
Red Hot Chili Peppers - “Under the Bridge”
Daryl Braithwaite - “The Horses”
Bob Marley - “No Woman No Cry”
Marcy Playground - “Sex and Candy”
Men at Work - “Land Down Under”
Banjo Patterson - “Waltzing Matilda”
A-ha - “Take On Me”
Green Day - “When I Come Around”
Eagle Eye Cherry - “Save Tonight”
Toto - “Africa”
Beyonce - “If I Were A Boy”
The Offspring - “Self Esteem”
The Offspring - “You're Gonna Go Far Kid”
Pink - “You and Your Hand”
Lady Gaga - “Poker Face”
Aqua - “Barbie Girl”
The Fray - “You Found Me”
30h!3 - “Don't Trust Me”
MGMT - “Kids”
Tim Minchin - “Canvas Bags”
Natalie Imbruglia - “Torn”
Five For Fighting - “Superman”
Axis Of Awesome - “Birdplane”
Missy Higgins - “Scar”
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