There are many discussions about what a true “legend” is, but there’s no question that Neil Young is a legend in the music industry. The 74-year-old musician has been active since 1963, and he has been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…twice (once as a solo artist, once as a Buffalo Springfield member). However, it appears as though Neil Young is not too pleased at the moment.
Donald Trump has been using Young’s hit song “Rockin’ In The Free World” for years at his rallies, and Neil Young hasn’t been too happy about this. For those who are unaware, “Rockin’ In The Free World” was released in 1989, and was one of Neil Young’s biggest hits. It also helped to revitalize his career at the time. Interestingly enough, the song actually criticizes former President George H.W. Bush. Either way, the song is considered a classic and was included in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.
This isn’t the first time that Young has had a problem with Trump playing his music. Trump has actually been playing his music for about five years now and even played “Freedom” in 2015 once he announced that he was running for president.
However, the issue isn’t completely black and white. Young previously admitted that he was fine with Trump using the song, and stated that he believed when Donald Trump said that he had gotten a license to play the music. That didn’t stop Young from making his own personal opinion of Trump known, as he has made some negative remarks about Trump in his past concerts.
It looks as though Young’s patience is wearing thin. The legendary songwriter stated that “This is NOT ok with me…” on social media after a clip of Trump playing “Rockin’ In The Free World” at his Mount Rushmore rally went viral. Young also stated that he stood in solidarity with the Lakota Sioux. For those who are unaware, Mount Rushmore is carved into The Black Hills. The Lakota Sioux consider the mountains to be sacred.
That isn’t all – Young has actually written an open letter to Trump, actually stating that the president is “a disgrace to my country.” He also referenced Barack Obama, pointing out that he believed “Our first black president was a better man than you are.”
Neil Young has made it clear that although it’s his right to sue, he won’t because he understands that Trump has some control over the response to the global pandemic currently affecting the world. Even though Young isn’t fond of Trump, Trump has actually stated in a 2008 Rolling Stone interview that he’s a big fan of the artist. In fact, Donald Trump has even been spotted at several Neil Young concerts in the 2000s.
