Neil Young is not happy that Donald Trump used his song “Rockin’ in the Free World” without permission during his presidential race announcement Tuesday.
“Rockin’ in the Free World” was written “as a critique of the Republican George H. W. Bush administration and how it did not care about America’s poor,” Billboard reported. A billionaire conservative using his song in his political campaign did not sit well with Young.
“Donald Trump was not authorized to use ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ in his presidential candidacy announcement,” said an official statement from Young’s camp. “Neil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for president of the United States of America.”
Young is not the first artist to object to a politician’s use of his song. Rolling Stone reported that Tom Petty sent Michele Bachmann a cease and desist letter after she played “American Girl” at a rally in 2011. Petty also told George W. Bush to quit playing “I Won’t Back Down” at rallies in 2000.
Jackson Browne sued Sen. John McCain and won an “undisclosed cash settlement and public apology” from McCain for using Browne’s song “Running on Empty” in campaign advertisements against then-candidate Barack Obama’s energy policy in 2008, The New York Times reported.
There have been several other cases of politicians using artists’ work without permission.
However, country duo Brooks and Dunn did not mind cross-party use of their song “Only in America.” George W. Bush used the song during his campaign against John Kerry, and Obama used the same song after his acceptance speech four years later, Rolling Stone reported.
“Seems ironic that the same song Bush used at the Republican Convention last election would be used by Obama and the Democrats now,” Kix Brooks said then, according to Rolling Stone. “Very flattering to know our song crossed parties and potentially inspires all Americans.”
