After seeing the new comedy Hamlet 2, something was bugging me. The film, which depicts a high-school drama teacher’s attempt to stage a controversial sequel to Shakespeare’s tragedy, culminates with an energetic number called "Rock Me Sexy Jesus."
The song, which Focus Features is already hyping for Oscar consideration, is amusing in its politically incorrect telling of a time-traveling Jesus Christ. It features lyrics such as "He’s the son of God and I think that’s cool. But he’s got a swimmer’s bod like nobody do." All good and fun, except to my ears, the song’s chorus sounds disturbingly similar to the chorus for "Little Shop of Horrors," the title song from the 1982 off-Broadway musical and subsequent 1986 movie.
A rep for Focus Features says "Sexy Jesus" is an original song, and we’re in no position to question that. But what do you think, PopWatchers? Do the songs’ choruses sound different enough from each other? Or are they too close for comfort? Listen to these embedded clips of both songs — fast-forward to the 52-second mark of "Sexy Jesus" and the 35-second mark for "Little Shop" — then weigh in on our message board below.
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They’re both early 60s style, doo-wop songs. So that makes them similar, but that doesn’t make them the same song.
Yep, I’m with ya I think its a rip off. I think its more than just the do wop style. Its the phrasing and timing and everything
Agreed. Most songs from that time sound similar, as do a lot of songs from similar eras. Not a rip-off I don’t think. Little Shop is almost too “mainstream” to be ripped-off, they’d have to pick something incredibly random.
That’s a little too close for comfort especially when the studio is promoting “Sexy Jesus” so much (btw, it’s not that good or funny of a song). Also I haven’t seen “Little Shop” since I was a child and I didn’t know both Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold were in it! And Marit Allen did the costumes! I learned so much from that clip. Thanks!
must be intentional. too similar. has to be an homage…
Ahh…Little Shop is my absolute favorite musical, so this definitely caught my attention. There are certainly similarities, but I’m going to go with “intentional homage” on this one. Also, “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” is actually a really stupid song. Sad, because I was looking forward to seeing the movie.
Just the same style, not the same song at all, you could nearly say the same for all the songs from Hairspray too.
I’m the music director for a professional regional theater in Tennessee (just letting you know about my credentials. Musically, the two songs are nothing alike, except for a similarity in rhythms for the “hook” and style (doo wop rock). However, the hooks are different melodically (different intervals) and “Little Shop, Little Shop of Horrors” has 10 syllables while “Rock me, Rock me, Rock me Sexy Jesus” has 11 syllables. Also, thematically, “Little Shop” is driving rock (especially if you listen to the Broadway recordings as opposed to the movie) and “Rock Me” is more light hearted. Hamlet 2 is a parody on musical theater, pointing out the inappropriateness of the style of music compared to the context of the plot. “Rock Me” is a homage to “Little Shop” but it’s definitely not a rip-off. For more homages/parodies, listen to some Forbidden Broadway soundtracks.
Thank you for telling me what song Jesus reminded me of. I knew I knew that tune. I just saw it in a commercial and told my husband it sounded familiar.
I just kind of assumed that the similarities were intentional. That the theater dirctor is so clueless that he doesn’t realize that he’s ripped off something so famous. I figured that the rest of the songs would also be similar to other famous songs from musicals.
Either this studio rep is just saying the right things to avoid a legal headache, or the writers of this movie are more clueless than their character.
What’s REALLY lame about “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” is that the lyrics themselves are just a rehashing of the seminal “Christian Rock Hard” episode of South Park, in which Cartman, Butters and Token form a Christian rock band named “Faith +1″. Just compare the lyrics from “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” (“He’s the son of God and I think that’s cool. But he’s got a swimmer’s bod like nobody do.”) to the lyrics of Faith +1 (“The Body of Christ! Sleek swimmer’s body, all muscled up and toned!”). Yeah, I know the writers of Hamlet 2 were also involved with the South Park movie, but that’s no excuse for ripping off a great episode of South Park and then pimping this new song like it’s so edgy and irreverent. It was – the first time around.
I’m gonna go with homage. Loved the song and the movie. Plus, I’d a million times rather see this win Best Song than some light-rock Phil Collins drivel.
“Little Shop of Horrors” hasn’t really been on my mind as of late (well, maybe the “Suddenly Seymour” song, but not the main theme), so I didn’t make the connection when I heard “Sexy Jesus” in passing.
But, yeah, intentional or not, it IS alot like it…
That guy that wrote “Rock Me Sexy Jesus”, he must be from the guttah…
Hey Lauren, you bite your tongue when you are talking about the man, the myth, the legend, otherwise known as Phil Collins. Phil Collins rocks. Always did, always will.
Come on, no one liked my “guttah” comment? Or was it too easy? Forgive the nerd, okay?
gonna be honest, didn’t like the hamlet 2 song. didn’t even think it was particularly clever. definite similarities to little shop of horrors. maybe too close to say that it wasn’t an homage or something.
Sorry, KOB. I do agree that Phil Collins can definitely rock (“That’s All” is one of my favorite songs, actually). However, Trey and Matt were robbed the year that he won the Oscar for “You’ll Be in My Heart”…although they got some sweet revenge parodying him on South Park.
they have similar sounds…its late fifites/early sixties rock and roll music chords, but little shop is way better.
Man, I was thinking the exact same thing the other day.
Man, I was thinking the exact same thing the other day.
I agree with others that it’s just a similar style all around. When I first heard Little Shop of Horrors, I thought I heard it before, wondering if it was identical to an older doo-wop type song.
Forget about the music being unoriginal. How about the concept of the song itself?
Why does everybody seem to think “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” is so shocking and profane and edgy? As a previous poster mentioned, it’s been done by “South Park,” it’s been done by gazillions of other comedies and comedians, and I think by now most people agree that just because something’s sacrilegious doesn’t mean it’s funny.
How about “Rock me sexy Mohammed”? Studios would NEVER offend Muslims by denigrating their prophet. Oh but Jesus and Christians, we’re fair game.
It is the exact same musical chorus. Identical.
This is actionable legally.
It’s simple really… “Rock me, rock me, rock me, sexy Mohammad.” isn’t HALF as catchy as “Rock me, rock me, rock me, sexy Jesus.”
Todya I found myself singing Little Shop of Horrors to myself, out of the clear blue, and wondered why.
Then I was humming it and my daughter starts singing the words…rock me Sexy Jesus. It’s EXACT!
And BTW… I’m VERY Christian…and the song WASN”T bad at all. Look at the lyrics. PLEase. Find REAL things to fight for. Get a Mission. This isn’t worth your fight.
You’re right on!! Almost identical song. Thanks!!
Okay, I’m 17 and I’m a christian so I think that my point of view can be weighed fairly. I believe they tried a little too hard to make this movie funny. Superbad-hilarious, School of Rock-hilarious, Hamlet 2- Not so much. They said “rock me sexy jesus all night long”.. Umm so now we’re trying to teach our youth its okay to be sexually attracted to Jesus? Hes a religious figure people come on now. I mean do people beat off at home thinking about Mother Teresa? I mean theres alot of things out there that can become part of comedy but I think leaving race and religion out of things leaves everyone happy…
i think that was the point