So have you heard Brad Paisley's Tick Song? I hadn't either until it was brought to my attention when people began telling me, upon hearing The Wood Tick Song: "You stole that idea from Brad Paisley". So I would like to let everyone know and understand something. The original wood tick song was written by yours truly on June 2, 2002. It was registered with BMI at the same time that I recorded it. The only thing the two songs have in common are the words "check you for ticks", which, unfortunately are not enough for me to sue Mr. Paisley.
One of the treacheries of being a writer is the piracy of written ideas. It is somewhat frustrating that this has happened, but as I say, according to law, there were not enough lyrics stolen to call it plagarism or thievery of intellectual property. The only fact I can state (again) is that I thought of the idea FIRST, as witnessed by the copyright of June, 2002.
It has been gratifying, however, that several of my fans have contacted my manager, Liz Fischer, angered by Paisley's recording, in that they have my CD and know that the song has been out for quite a while.
We even had one fan from the Rhinelander, Wisconsin, area, intimate that Brad Paisley had appeared at the Hodag Country Festival the summer before his tick song came out and that "he must have heard it on the radio while he was here and stole the idea!"
Brad Paisley appeared several months ago on the Imus in the Morning Show and performed the song. My manager heard that broadcast and immediately contacted Imus' people and asked if she might send them a copy of my song, the intention being that perhaps they would be interested in having me appear on the show as well.
She sent the CD out and it wasn't but a week later that Mr. Imus torpedoed his own show with the "nappy-headed Ho's" line. I want my copy of the CD back!
How much fun do you think it would be to be opening act for Mr. Paisley and finish the set with my version of the Wood Tick Song?
Hey! It could happen. I am being considered as MC for the Chippewa Valley CountryFest next summer.
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