Canadian rocker Neil Young has given permission for his iconic anthem "Rockin' in the Free World" to be used at the Democratic National Convention (DNC), a surprising move given his long-running public feud with former US President Donald Trump.
Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota and a self-proclaimed fan of the song, concluded his DNC speech on Wednesday by walking off the stage to the rousing tune. CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins confirmed that Walz had personally sought Young's approval for the use of the track, which has become a touchstone in American politics.
While Young's representative has not yet commented on the matter, the rocker himself revealed his support for the Democratic Party in a recent article published on his personal website, the Neil Young Archives. In the article, Young declared he would be watching the DNC proceedings, albeit on the unbiased C-SPAN channel rather than the "smarmy talking head slanted" news networks. He also included Shepard Fairey's artwork promoting the Harris campaign, a clear indication of his support for the Democratic ticket.
Young's past clashes with Trump stem from the latter's repeated use of "Rockin' in the Free World" at campaign rallies, starting as far back as June 2015. Young initially expressed his disapproval at the time, reiterating his objection after Trump continued to play the song at various events, including rallies in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and at Mount Rushmore.
This culminated in Young filing a lawsuit against Trump in August 2020, claiming that the Trump campaign did not have the necessary license to perform "Rockin' in the Free World" and another song, "Devil's Sidewalk," at rallies. The lawsuit alleged that the Trump campaign had "willfully ignored" Young's requests to cease playing his music and had knowingly performed his songs without a license.
Despite the lawsuit and Young's vocal criticisms of Trump, the former president continued to use "Rockin' in the Free World" at rallies, prompting Young to take further legal action. While the details of the outcome of the lawsuit are not reported in the article, the inclusion of the song at the DNC signals a change in Young's stance towards the use of his music in political settings.
The decision to allow the use of his iconic song at the DNC suggests that Young may be shifting his focus from protesting Trump's use of his music to supporting Democratic candidates. This remains to be seen, but the use of "Rockin' in the Free World" at the DNC will surely be interpreted as a sign of support for the Democratic party from one of the most iconic musicians of his generation.
