The Daily Populous Friday August 23rd, 2024 morning edition
Authored by independent.co.uk and submitted by nO0b

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Legendary rocker Neil Young gave Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz permission to use his song "Rockin' in the Free World" as an entrance theme at the Democratic National Convention.

Walz reportedly specifically sought permission from Young to use the song, CNN reports.

It's not the first time the song has been used by a political candidate; back in 2015 Donald Trump also used the song, but famously not with Young's permission to do so.

Young not only did not give his permission, but he actively tried to force Trump to stop using the song. He sent the campaign several cease-and-desist threats, but Trump ignored the artist's wishes for years.

The rocker eventually filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Trump in 2020.

Tim Walz used Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World as entrance music after seeking — and receiving — the legendary rocker’s permission to use the song ( Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. )

Unlike with Trump, Young reportedly had no issued with Walz using the song.

“Rockin' in the Free World” — like Bruce Springsteen's “Born in the USA” — is often assumed to be patriotic, when in fact both are protest songs, lobbing critiques of society. Young's song highlights a lack of empathy for the poor and references pollution, war, and drug abuse in the US.

The song's gripes with the US were what raised eyebrows when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken played the song at a bar in Kyiv in May.

He played "Rockin' in the Free World" alongside Ukrainian band 19.99 during a visit to address the nation's ongoing war with Russia.

"The United States is with you, so much of the world is with you. And they’re fighting, not just for Ukraine but for the free world – and the free world is with you too," Blinken said during his performance.

Sec. of State Antony Blinken joins a band in Kyiv to perform Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

At the same time, Blinken was facing criticism for the US's stance on Israel's violence in Gaza, and his on-stage appearance didn't earn him any goodwill amongst those critical of the war.

Four days after his big guitar show in Ukraine, Israel conducted an airstrike at a Gaza refugee camp that killed more than 30 people. Days later, protesters yelled at Blinken that he would be remembered as the "butcher of Gaza."

Blinken — acting as an executor of the will of the US government — probably wasn't who Young had in mind to carry his tune.

Young – like many other artists – has tried to force Trump to stop using his song ( Getty Images )

Similarly, Beyonce almost certainly did not have Trump in mind when she released “Freedom,” but the former president used the song in a video anyway. At least he tried to earlier this week, but Beyonce threatened to sue, and Trump's campaign removed the video.

Instead of playing over Trump, Beyonce's “Freedom“ will be used by Vice President Kamala Harris as her campaign walk-out song.

a9JDvXLWHumjaC on August 22nd, 2024 at 17:40 UTC »

Remember hearing Neil on a radio interview one time. He bought a vintage 4D Lincoln gas guzzler to convert it into an electric car - before electric was popular. He was always one of the good guys and this very nice gesture shows him well.

LuvKrahft on August 22nd, 2024 at 17:33 UTC »

Good, people should be able to understand why letting Nazis and rapists and democracy haters use your music is bad. GOP can have kidrock.

AngusMcTibbins on August 22nd, 2024 at 17:32 UTC »

Neil is a good man and a lifelong activist. And he fucking hates trump