The Offspring’s “Why don’t you get a Job?” sounds like The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”

The Beatles’ released “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da” partly as a tribute to reggae’s growing popularity in Britain during 1968. The Offspring released “Why don’t you get a Job?” as a ska/punk tune from their 1998 album ‘Americana’.

I see the Offspring tune “Why Don’t You Get A Job?” more as a tribute to the Beatles’ hit than as a ripoff. The song is clearly inspired by the vocal melody. It’s even in the same key CORRECTION: Lord Zall has informed me that the Beatles tune is in B-Flat, and the Offspring’s tune is in F-natural. The Offspring made such a little attempt to change the song that I see “Why don’t you get a Job?” as a humble nod to their musical superiors, The Beatles.

Since these songs are the same key and similar tempo, this sound-a-like is the perfect candidate for a Sounds Just Like first: Mashup! Listen to the second audio sample to hear The Offspring and The Beatles mashed together.

“Why don’t you get a Job?” was released as the second single from Americana, right after “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)”. I can understand the view that this was a dishonorable move by The Offspring. What do you think?

Popularity: 50% [?]

Related Sound-A-Likes:

1. Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” sounds like the Jayhawk’s “Waiting for the Sun”
2. Led Zeppelin’s “Babe I’m gonna leave you” sounds like Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4″
3. Green Day’s “Warning” sounds like The Kinks’s “Picture Book”