When “Broken Wings” hit the airwaves in 1985, Beatles fans were quick to point out that it included an identical line from the song “Blackbird:” Take these broken wings and learn to fly.”

Was it plagiarism? Maybe…but only because Paul McCartney and Richard Page of Mister Mister, who co-wrote ” the song with Steve George and John Lang, BOTH lifted it from the same source: Lebanese author Kahlil Gibran’s 1912 novel” Broken Wings,”which was originally written in Arabic.

The novel was about a tragic love story. “Blackbird” dealt with segregation…while Mister Mister stayed closer to the source…with lyrics about–as one critic called it: “an attempt to keep a relationship together through the magic of flowery language.” (Pretty much a backhanded compliment.)

But Mister Mister had the last laugh. The single, from the album “Welcome to the Real World,” became a worldwide hit…charting in 17 countries, including the US, where it flew to the top of Billboard’s Hot 100, while nesting at #3 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and #4 on the Rock Chart.

The video was also played in heavy rotation on MTV, and a brand new channel called…VH-1!

“Broken Wings” by Mister Mister: definitely a Great Song of 1985!

–Mike Cook