The Rolling Stones Song Neil Young Stole—and How He Gave Himself Away

Artistic and intellectual theft is a dicey and immoral game. It’s a game that can lead to million-dollar lawsuits and a tarnished reputation. However, that didn’t stop Neil Young, as the “Old Man” singer stole a song right out from under The Rolling Stones‘ noses. As a matter of fact, Young’s plagiarism could have easily resulted in a lawsuit between the two parties. Though, for some reason, The Stones decided to leave it be.

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Neil Young has always been praised for his originality and simplicity. That being said, it’s surprising to hear that Neil Young actually lifted a song. After all, the man has written songs for some of the biggest names in music, so why did he need to steal one?

Neil Young and the “Borrowed Tune” He Nicked From The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones’ song Neil Young stole was their 1966 single “Lady Jane“. On the surface and to an untrained ear, Young’s plagiarism is subtle and arguably nonexistent. However, when you listen to the song attentively, you can pull out the parallels in the melody and chord structure. Again, Young’s lifting of the song could have been overlooked, but the man took responsibility for his intellectual theft in the end.

Appropriately, Neil Young titled his song “Borrowed Tune”. Released in 1975, Young did nothing to deceive the public and act cunningly. Rather, he let the entire world know he stole the song. The title alone alludes to Young’s theft, but he takes the self-incrimination to another level, particularly in the line “I’m singin’ this borrowed tune / I took from the Rolling Stones / Alone in this empty room / Too wasted to write my own.”

Young admitted to his crime in the most overt possible way. Oddly enough, it is unclear why Neil Young decided to blatantly steal from The Rolling Stones. Although, in 1975, Young had just lost his two friends, Bruce Berry and Danny Whitten. Between their tragic deaths and the line “Too wasted to write my own“, it seems Young just lacked all the ambition and motivation to create something original.

The Rolling Stones never took Neil Young to court and the musician was able to successfully pull off a fairly grand musical theft. The Stones never commented on Young’s theft, either. To this day, Neil Young has never divulged why he stole the song. Outside of the song’s title and lyrics, Young has never explicitly admitted to stealing anything. However, given the title and lyrics, Young has quite the case against him.

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