Robin Thicke Finally Responds To The 'Blurred Lines" Verdict

Photo by Elizabeth Weinberg for The New York Times 

It's been a trying year for Robin Thicke, no question about it. Whether you were a fan since his long-haired, joy-riding on a bike days or a more recent convert vis a vis "Blurred Lines" and the sweeping implications of the subsequent lawsuit, you've gotta at least feel a little sorry for the man, no matter how displeased you may be about the verdict. But it's the verdict, which both the Marvin Gaye estate and Pharrell have already chimed in on, that brings us here today. A recent interview with The New York Times, found Thicke finally addressing the court's decision, how he intends to appeal and where to go from here (not a particularly high point in his career.) Much of the interview finds the former r&b star backtracking on his deposition and trying, with a straight face, to debunk the popular contention that many of his compositions bite a little too hard off of Marvelous Marvin's. I suppose wherever you stand on the topic of how severe his plagiarism is, it's clear as day that the ruling should be challenged, if not merely for the sake of keeping "feel" off the table in copyright and licensing claims. You can read one of Robin Thicke's more compelling excerpts from the interview below. Get the full script by hitting the link and jump back to hear his latest cut "Morning Sun."

>>>Read The Full Robin Thicke Interview (via NYT)

It comes right down to knowing the difference between being inspired and stealing. Why would I want to, or have to, steal from anybody to make my music? Inspiration can be subliminal. As a songwriter, you’re obviously trying to create a brand-new feeling that comes from your heart. But you can’t help but be inspired by all of the greatness that came before you. In popular music, you know, there’s only so many chords being used. On the Internet, there’s this thing where this band plays the same four chords, and they do 75 hit songs with the same four chords in the exact same pattern. That just shows you some of the limitations in popular music.