Natalie Imbruglia recalls a man who plagiarized Joni Mitchell lyrics for a poem

In a recent interview, Australian singer Natalie Imbruglia shared personal stories about her musical life. She recalled that when she was 17, a man gave her a poem he claimed to have written for her, but she later discovered it was actually the lyrics to Joni Mitchell's song 'Coyote'. She now views him as a creep. Imbruglia also discussed her karaoke habits, noting she only sings 'Torn' when drunk and pressured by friends, and expressed frustration over the misconception that she wrote the song. She mentioned her father gave her a vinyl of 'California Dreamin'' for her fifth birthday, and she bought Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' as her first single. Her new album 'Algorithm' is out on September 4.

Natalie Imbruglia recalls a man who plagiarized Joni Mitchell lyrics for a poem
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Published Aug 16, 2026

Topic overview

Briefly

  • Natalie Imbruglia revealed that a man gave her a poem at 17, which she later discovered was Joni Mit
  • She expressed frustration over the misconception that she wrote 'Torn', which is a cover.
  • Her new album 'Algorithm' is set for release on September 4.

What happened

In a recent interview, Natalie Imbruglia, the Australian singer best known for her hit 'Torn', shared personal anecdotes about her musical influences and experiences. She recounted that when she was 17, a man gave her a poem he claimed to have written for her, which she later discovered was actually the lyrics to Joni Mitchell's song 'Coyote'. This revelation left her feeling deceived and she now regards the man as a creep. Imbruglia also discussed her karaoke habits, noting that she only performs 'Torn' when drunk and pressured by friends, and she expressed frustration over the persistent misconception that she wrote the song, which she did not. She mentioned that a meme about 'Torn' being a cover reignited this issue. Additionally, she shared that her father gave her a vinyl of 'California Dreamin'' by the Mamas & the Papas for her fifth birthday, and she bought Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' as her first single. She also revealed that she cannot listen to 'Coyote' anymore due to the negative association, and she prefers gentle music like Jacob Collier's 'Little Blue' in the mornings. For parties, she relies on 'Genius of Love' by Tom Tom Club, and she would choose 'Another One Bites the Dust' and 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen for her funeral. Her new album 'Algorithm' is set for release on September 4.

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Updated Aug 16, 2026

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