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Last night, Minnesota governor Tim Walz officially accepted the vice presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention. When Walz finished his speech, Neil Young’s pissed-off 1989 anthem “Rockin’ In The Free World” boomed over the arena speakers. This is nothing new. “Rockin’ In The Free World” is a staple at political events, even though its lyrics paint a notably bleak picture of that free world. But this time, there was something different: Neil Young actually approved the song’s use.
“Health care and housing are human rights. And the government stays the hell out of your bedroom!” — Walz ends his DNC speech on a rousing note, and the music afterward is Neil Young’s “Keep On Rocking in the Free World,” which is one of the greatest rock songs ever IMO pic.twitter.com/kI04Bk3tMp
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 22, 2024
Neil Young has never been shy about his political inclinations. In 2020, Young sued Donald Trump to block him from using “Rockin’ In The Free World” at campaign events. (Young had already written about being upset over the song’s usage, but the Trump campaign didn’t stop using it.) Last night was different. According to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Walz, a big classic rock head, chose “Rockin’ In The Free World” as his song, and Neil Young personally approved it. Unlike DJ Snake, Neil Young is happy to have is song played at a political convention, as long as it’s not the wrong political convention.
Neil Young personally allowed the Harris-Walz campaign to use his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” as Walz exited tonight, a campaign official says. (Walz personally chose the song, given it’s a favorite of his.)
Young previously sued the Trump campaign to stop them from using…— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 22, 2024
“Rockin In The Free World” has remained in the political space over the years; Secretary Of State Antony Blinken covered the song at a Kyiv bar a few months ago. Last night, Stevie Wonder, John Legend, and Maren Morris all performed at the DNC. (Jason Isbell and Lil Jon performed on previous nights.) Tonight, Pink will perform there.