About face: Songwriters Tony Dunbar and James Gangwer of the Rubinoos are now saying Avril Lavigne’s song “Girlfriend” is not a ripoff of their 1979 song “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.”  I wonder how much they got paid to say that, because if you listen to both songs, it seems as if Lavigne’s song was influenced by the Rubinoos’ song.

Listen to the first video clip below for a mix of the two songs and decide for yourself. Then watch the second video for a bit of insight about why the Rolling Stones announced last year that they want to so the winner of Avril vs. Rubinoos. (Maybe The Rubinoos were smart and backed off so that The Stones would sue Lavigne.) Then finally listen to The Ramones in the third video. (Long live Joey’s legend in Rock Heaven.) Musicians are ALWAYS influenced by what comes before, regardless of what they say.