Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz received approval to use Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” during the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.
Walz concluded his speech to thunderous applause and left the DNC stage at Chicago’s United Center performing to “Rockin’ in the Free World,” a song from Young’s 1989 album Freedom. According to a CNN report, Young personally approved the use of the song for the Harris campaign because it is a favorite of Walz’s.
The song’s anthemic message has been used as a soundtrack by other political parties in the past – most famously for Donald Trump’s 2016 election campaign in 2015. However, Young did not agree with Trump’s campaign using the song, as he made clear in a statement at the time.
In 2020, he sued Trump for unauthorized use, citing not only “Rockin’ in the Free World” but also a lesser-known song from the 2003 “Greendale” album, “Devil’s Sidewalk,” which was part of the playlist at a Trump rally.
“Imagine how it feels to hear ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ after this president’s speech as if it were his theme song. I didn’t write it for that,” Young wrote on his website at the time. He described Trump’s call for a military response to the Black Lives Matter protests as particularly disturbing.
The lawsuit also states that Young “continued to publicly and publicly object to the campaign’s use of the songs. The first such objection was related to Trump’s playing of ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ during his June 16, 2015, announcement of his run for president. In response, the campaign issued a statement saying it had obtained a license to do so, thereby acknowledging that it knew a license was required.”
A spokesman for Young did not immediately respond to diversityPlease leave a comment.
The final night of the DNC is Thursday, with the Chicks singing “The Star Spangled Banner.” Pink will reportedly also perform at the 2024 convention. The first three nights of the DNC featured performances by John Legend, Jason Isbell, Patti LaBelle, Maren Morris, Common and Mickey Guyton, with a cameo by Jon B during a music-accompanied roll call.
