Holy Shit: Sam Smith’s ‘Stay With Me’ and Tom Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down’ Are Pretty Much The Same Song

Are you a heady, rock’n roll-loving soul who likes Tom Petty? Have you smoked marijuana to “Last Dance With Mary Jane” at least once during a break-up? Have you had a sing-a-long to “American Girl” while cruising on a roadtrip with your friends? Congrats! You’re a human being!

Tom Petty is without a doubt a beloved rock’n roll icon. But his music is often criticized by musicians for simple three chord progressions that any jackass with an $80 Washburn off Craigslist can play. Or rip-off, in the case of Sam Smith.

A bunch of people started noticing that Sam Smith’s hit single,”Stay With Me,” sounded A LOT like Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” Someone made a mashup of noting the similarities between the two songs on YouTube last July. Now Petty will receive a writing credit on the song, though it’s up for the lawyers to sort out whether he’ll get royalties. Via Gawker:

“Not previously familiar with the 1989 Petty/Lynne song, the writers of Stay With Me listened to I Won’t Back Down and acknowledged the similarity. Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement,” a spokesperson for Smith said.

Listen to it. Uncanny how similar the songs are.

Brandon Wenerd is BroBible's publisher, writing on this site since 2009. He writes about sports, music, men's fashion, outdoor gear, traveling, skiing, and epic adventures. Based in Los Angeles, he also enjoys interviewing athletes and entertainers. Proud Penn State alum, former New Yorker. Email: brandon@brobible.com