The Bob Dylan and Hootie & the Blowfish lawsuit is one of the more misremembered stories in 1990s music: no lawsuit was ever actually filed. After “Only Wanna Be with You” became a massive hit off the band’s 1994 debut Cracked Rear View, Dylan’s lawyers demanded compensation for lyrics the song had borrowed from his 1975 album Blood on the Tracks. The two sides reached an out-of-court settlement on November 3, 1995, with the band paying Dylan a reported sum in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
What Dylan’s Lawyers Objected To
Darius Rucker wrote “Only Wanna Be with You” as what he later called “a straight tribute to my love of Dylan,” writing the lyrics while listening to Blood on the Tracks every day.1American Songwriter. How Darius Rucker and Hootie the Blowfish’s Smash Hit Scored Bob Dylan a Big Chunk of Change The most direct borrowing came from “Idiot Wind.” Rucker sang, “I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy / She inherited a million bucks, and when she died it came to me / I can’t help it if I’m lucky,” lines taken nearly verbatim from Dylan’s original.2Far Out Magazine. Why Did Bob Dylan Threaten to Sue Hootie and the Blowfish The song also name-checked “Tangled Up in Blue.”3American Songwriter. On This Day in 1995, Hootie the Blowfish Paid Bob Dylan Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to Settle a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Dylan reportedly viewed the use as “more plagiarism than tribute.”4Songfacts. Bob Dylan Timeline
Why Earlier Permission Did Not Cover the Hit
The band first recorded “Only Wanna Be with You” for their 1993 independent EP Kootchypop. Before releasing it, they sent the song to Dylan’s publishing company for clearance, and according to both Rucker and drummer Jim Sonefeld, the publisher approved the use.5Rolling Stone. Darius Rucker on Wagon Wheel and the Future of Hootie6Songfacts. Only Wanna Be with You by Hootie the Blowfish
When they re-recorded the track for their Atlantic Records major-label debut Cracked Rear View in 1994, they did not seek fresh clearance, assuming the original approval still applied.6Songfacts. Only Wanna Be with You by Hootie the Blowfish7Discogs. Hootie the Blowfish – Cracked Rear View8Rhino. Hootie the Blowfish Cracked Rear View Set for 25th Anniversary Reissues “Only Wanna Be with You” reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. Borrowed lyrics on an obscure EP were one thing; the same lyrics on a record-breaking hit were another.
The Demand and Out-of-Court Settlement
Rucker has been explicit that the dispute never became formal litigation. “It never got to the point where we were sued,” he told Rolling Stone in 2013.5Rolling Stone. Darius Rucker on Wagon Wheel and the Future of Hootie After the song became a hit in 1995, Dylan’s lawyers issued a demand to the band and Atlantic Records for compensation.9AS English. Hootie the Blowfish and Their Legal Battle With Bob Dylan
The band did not fight it. “We weren’t trying to rip anybody off,” Rucker said. “It was like, ‘If you think that’s the case, sure.'”1American Songwriter. How Darius Rucker and Hootie the Blowfish’s Smash Hit Scored Bob Dylan a Big Chunk of Change The parties settled on November 3, 1995.3American Songwriter. On This Day in 1995, Hootie the Blowfish Paid Bob Dylan Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to Settle a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
What the Settlement Reportedly Included
Neither side has fully confirmed the terms, and available reports disagree. What is consistent is that Hootie & the Blowfish made a substantial payment. VH1 put the figure at roughly $350,000 as a single lump sum, not an ongoing royalty stream.2Far Out Magazine. Why Did Bob Dylan Threaten to Sue Hootie and the Blowfish Other accounts describe the payment more vaguely as “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”3American Songwriter. On This Day in 1995, Hootie the Blowfish Paid Bob Dylan Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars to Settle a Copyright Infringement Lawsuit
Whether Dylan also received a songwriting credit is a genuine point of conflict in the record. Rolling Stone reported that the settlement gave Dylan a co-writing credit and ownership of half the song’s publishing.10Rolling Stone. Dylan’s Bloody Best Album: 40 Facts About the 40-Year-Old Blood on the Tracks Far Out Magazine reported the opposite, saying Dylan received no writing credit and that the payment was a one-time sum with no ongoing royalties.2Far Out Magazine. Why Did Bob Dylan Threaten to Sue Hootie and the Blowfish The discrepancy has never been publicly resolved by the band or Dylan’s representatives.
What Happened After
Rucker never publicly expressed resentment about the payout, and his admiration for Dylan’s music seems to have survived intact. Years later he recorded “Wagon Wheel,” built on an unfinished Dylan demo from the Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid sessions that Old Crow Medicine Show had completed and popularized. Rucker’s 2013 version became a country number-one hit, with the songwriting credits sorted out from the start.5Rolling Stone. Darius Rucker on Wagon Wheel and the Future of Hootie