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STORY

Glee Stole Baby Got Back Arrangement

Type: story
Participants: Randal Schwartz, Jonathan Coulton

  • Glee Stole Baby Got Back Arrangement

  • The story behind my performance of "Baby Got Back" at Karaoke and the TV show Glee's unauthorized use of the arrangement.

  • The Glee Controversy

    • The television show Glee performed an arrangement of "Baby Got Back" that was identical to Jonathan Coulton's acoustic easy-listening version.
    • They copied it down to the exact lyrics where Jonathan replaced Sir Mix-a-Lot's name with his own name ("Jonathan's got back").
    • Despite this, the show did not credit Jonathan or license his arrangement.

  • The Karaoke Performance

    • On January 31, 2023, a karaoke host requested that I sing Jonathan Coulton's version.
    • Before singing, I explained the story of the theft to the crowd and pointed out Jonathan's name in the lyrics while performing.
    • This action permanently put Glee on my ban list.
These facts are as Randal recalls them, but much time has passed for most of this. If you find a factual error, please email realmerlyn@gmail.com.