Rockwell - Taxman Lyrics

Off The Wall vibes?

Actually heard this first before the beatles version, absolutely love both versions, they are delivered with different perspectives...that funky bass though...

Wow, this is GOOD!

Loved this cut back in 84! Say whatcha like about Rockwell, but he did his thing back then. Played this album all day

This whole cassette was so much fun when I was 16. I'm going to have to listen to it again to see if it still holds up!

George Harrison wrote this, and is Publisher..He gave permission, for Rockwell to cover this song...I'm sure one call from Daddy-Berry Gordy Sr..(Motown), is all it took

Sounds like an IRS radio commercial.

yeah i like it. its better than the beatles version. i was 12 back in 1984 when i first heard it.

this keeps reminding me of the U S Treasury, Internal Rip off Service, Federal Reserve Jewish Mafia.

"God, this guy really had it in for the IRS, huh? Maybe he's worried they'll repossess the single Casio keyboard they had to record this with." XDDD

no it isnt washed up by a wanabe. u think ur better . u do it then. i bet u cant even sing . its good by the beatles but even better by rockwell.

Todd in the shadows fan?

Tina Jane Oxnam only thing rockwell did better is suck and hide

hahahahha

I LOVE THIS SONG..I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN IT CAME OUT. WE WE'RE IN GERMANY.. BRINGS BACK AWESOME MEMBERES.

WORST version of this song by a washed up wannabe  !!!!

h8tr much

And the beatles version of it DOES suck; it's vocals are too quiet and are overpowered by the shitty instrumentals in the bg,... need I say more?...

this was from his debut which was a gold record so no he wasnt washed up

The Beatles version sucked..

The Beatles were the original.

Why is there always THAT ONE GUY who shits on the Beatles in the comments of covers...

I don't think so really. I once read somewhere that which version you heard first might influence your opinion on both of them. So, if you don't mind me asking, did you hear this version before the Beatles version?

this gr8 cover went to #88 in uk.not bad.
ott and btw :paranoid ? somebody's watching me, obscene phone caller,peeping tom .

Did Michael Jackson give this song to Rockwell? He was the owner of most of the Beatles' songs at that time. His eyes are on the cover and he also did the backing vocals on Somebody's watching me.. I bet George Harrison was furious when he heard this! 

Actually George Harrison loved it!

To answer your question, no Michael Jackson didn't. At the time of this album's release in 1984 and 1984 copyright date, all songs published by the songwriting team of Lennon-McCarthey, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr were still owned and controlled by Northern Songs, Ltd, which had become a UK based subsidiary of ATV Music, Ltd in 1969 when it was purchased by Associated Television. At the time, Northern Songs also owned a US subsidiary, Maclen Music, Inc, which controlled the rights in the US for the above songwriters in question. So either Rockwell or Curtis Anthony Nolen, who was the producer of Rockewll's album would have had to obtain a Mechanical Rights license from Maclen Music, Inc in order for Rockwell to cover this song and have it appear on his album. This is usually done by contacting either the Harry Fox Agency or Broadcast Music Inc, which is the union for Maclen Music, Inc. According to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Songs

Michael Jackson did not acquire ownership of ATV Music, Ltd. until August 10, 1985, which was a year after this album's release. It was later learned after Michael's death that he had borrowed a substantial amount of money from his then record company, CBS, Inc, now owned by Sony in order to buy ATV Music back in 1985 and that was why he eventually merged ATV with Sony, thus creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing in 1995, according to:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony/ATV_Music_Publishing

Also, this song's publisher information is also in small print on back of the album cover, which you can view here:

https://www.music-bazaar.com/album-images/vol8/455/455982/2270672-big/Somebody-S-Watching-Me-3-picture.jpg

Rockwell aka..Berry Gordy Jr............Nuff Said!! Now ya know folks!!

Everlasting beats

I'm gonna play this over several more times.  I Lvoe it.

Just no, this is the worst version I have ever heard. This is one on the worst cover songs ever.

I happen to like this one just as much as the original from the Beatles. Now if some grunge or progressive alternative band remade this, it would sound like crap.

@ScorpioBornIn69

Purty awesome version, Scorp.  Thnax for the send.

The Taxman Cometh.

Just remember, kiddos... If you received a HUGE refund, all that means is you waayyy overpaid during the previous tax year...

I like the original, but this version is so smooth and classy, that I prefer this one!

Wesley Snipes need to pay up, pay his delinquent taxes.
Crazy Nukkuh.

Even when The Beatles wrote this. I can dare to say that these and EWF's "Got to get you into my life" are great covers, even better than the originals!

The Illuminati Revenue Service (Taxman)

And you are working for no one but ME!

Sounds all too familiar now.

Rockwell forever!!!!

Berry Gordy's son singing a song about the trouble of taxes.... hmm, how ironic.

This was the era of Reagan tax breaks too.

Somebody Watching Me also had a line about being watched by the irs

This used to be my absolute favorite song by Rockwell from back in 1984...still jammin. Thank you 30 million for the post.

Love Rockwell, but NO ONE can top The Beatles :-)

I imagine myself driving a lowrider thru hot 80s LA streets with this song on.

he also had "rockwell bloody rockwell" album.I dunno,maybe its just a compilation.

This actually was the Rockwell's third single in Europe.

He did, he had two, Captured and Genie, but neither of them were successful. The only thing even remotely close to a success after the debut album was "Peeping Tom" from The Last Dragon movie soundtrack.

I love this song, he have done gd songs but its ashame he wasnt really famous.