The lyrics of "Hello" by Adele, 27, and "Martha" by Tom Waits, 65, both talk about calling a former lover. While "Hello" is dominating the charts, Waits' fans accuse Adele of copying the lyrics from "Martha," which is from the 1973 album "Closing Time."
XL Recordings released "Hello" as the lead single of Adele's upcoming third studio album titled "15" on Oct. 23. This is her first song since her 2012 hit "Skyfall."
Adele wrote "Hello" with producer Gregory Allen Kurstin, who was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2014 for Best Original Song for "Opportunity" from the film "Annie."
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kurstin said Adele did not want to "just go through and write a pop song with any particular formula."
"We talked about Tom Waits, and different storytellers like that," Kurstin explained. "I think that was the idea, that we wanted to do something that was very honest about where she was at right now, and she wanted to do something that was real and believable."
On the other hand, Adele told Rolling Stone that he has moved on from the heartbreaker who inspired her second studio album "21." She said "Hello" is as much about regrouping or reconnecting with herself.
Waits has yet to comment on the issue. Here are the first verses of Adele's "Hello" and Waits' "Martha":
"Martha"
First verse:
Operator, number, please: it's been so many years
Will she remember my old voice while I fight the tears?
Hello, hello there, is this Martha? this is old Tom Frost,
And I am calling long distance, don't worry 'bout the cost.
'Cause it's been forty years or more, now Martha please recall,
Meet me out for coffee, where we'll talk about it all.
"Hello"
First verse:
Hello, it's me
I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet
To go over everything
They say that time's supposed to heal ya, but I ain't done much healing
Hello, can you hear me?
I'm in California dreaming about who we used to be
When we were younger and free
I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet
Watch the "Hello" music video here: