Johnny Depp Accused of Lifting Lyrics for His Song

Johnny Depp has been releasing new music in the wake of his big court win against ex-wife Amber Heard, but now the actor-turned-musician is being accused of lifting lyrics for some recent songs. According to a report from Rolling Stone, Depp and legendary rocker Jeff Beck allegedly stole the lyrics for their song “Sad Motherf—in’ Parade.” The outlet states that portions of the lyrics are taken from an obscure song or “toast,” a sometimes-explicit version of Black folk poetry that was common many years ago. The toast was sung by an incarcerated man and was documented and released in 1974 by a folklore researcher.

The toast is said to have been written by a man named Slim Wilson, who was serving a sentence for armed robbery at Missouri State Penitentiary. It is unclear if the toast is from the ’70s, or if that is just when folklorist Bruce Jackson shared it. The toast, or song, is about a character named “Hobo Ben,” who is at a party. “Ladies of culture and beauty so refined, is there one among you that would grant me wine?/I’m raggedy I know, but I have no stink/and God bless the lady that’ll buy me a drink,” the singer says. “Heavy-hipted Hattie turned to Nadine with a laugh/and said, ‘What that funky motherf—er really need, child, is a bath.’”

In Depp and Beck’s song, “Sad Motherf—in’ Parade,” the lyrics read, “I’m raggedy, I know, but I have no stink,” “God bless the lady that’ll buy me a drink,” and “What that funky motherfucker really needs, child, is a bath.” Speaking to Rolling Stone about the situation, Jackson said, “The only two lines I could find in the whole piece that [Depp and Beck] contributed are ‘Big time motherf—er’ and ‘Bust it down to my level.’” He added, “Everything else is from Slim’s performance in my book. I’ve never encountered anything like this. I’ve been publishing stuff for 50 years, and this is the first time anybody has just ripped something off and put his own name on it.”

At this time, neither Depp nor Beck appear to have commented on the allegations. The pair had been touring Europe together, and recently released their debut collaboration album, 18. The album was released on July 15 and features 13 tracks. In September, Beck will head out on a fall tour with ZZ Top.