Robin Thicke, On Trial, Literally Sang And Danced For His Defence

Proving that there are almost no benefits to jury duty - beyond contributing to a fairer, more equal society - Los Angeles jurors were forced to sit through a Robin Thicke piano medley this week. It was, apparently, mercifully brief.

For those catching up, Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. are defending themselves against a law suit from the family of Marvin Gaye, who believe the trio ripped off Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" when conceiving their megahit "Blurred Lines."

But, it should be noted, Thicke and company sued the Gaye family first, hoping to get them to declare that there was no such infringement. This gambit, obviously, didn't work.

The singer (presumably not in his Beetlejuice getup) performed excerpts of U2's "With Or Without You," The Beatles' "Let It Be," Alphaville's "Forever Young," Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry," and Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" in court on Tuesday. He also reportedly sang along and "danced a little in his seat."

According to THR, Thicke's medley of similar-sounding songs was played to demonstrate the way in which "Blurred Lines" couldn't be improperly derived from "Got To Give It Up." Because, look how alike all those other songs are!

Thicke's earlier claims during media interviews that he had directly been inspired by "Got To Give It Up" when writing "Blurred Lines" have understandably been mentioned during the trial. However, in an earlier deposition, Thicke had said he was in a state of inebriation during that period, coming off a separation from his wife Paula Patton.

In a fun crinkle, Patton will soon have to testify on her estranged ex's behalf, as she co-wrote another song - "After the Dance" - that the Gaye family also believe was plagiarised.

Awkwardly, Thicke's last album was a tribute to his ex-wife, titled Paula. It was a horrendous, creepy flop.

So, keep an eye on this trial folks! If the jury gets lucky, maybe Pharrell will perform too.

Here's a "Blurred Lines" / "Got To Give It Up" comparison for you.