Presidential candidate, controversial businessman Donald Trump, fired back at Neil Young with a series of tweets, called Young out as a hypocrite.
When Trump played Young’s “Keep on Rockin’ In the Free World.” twice during his presidential announcement rally, Young reacted with this statement:
“Donald Trump was not authorized to use ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ in his presidential candidacy announcement,” a statement from Young’s manager read. “Neil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America.”
Not one to take a licking sitting down, Trump called out Young for coming to him a few months back, all smiles, looking for some money to back his PONO endeavor.
See tweets below:
Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump
.@Neilyoung A few months ago Neil Young came to my office looking for $$ on an audio deal & called me last week to go to his concert. Wow!
When Donald Trump’s presidential campaign kicked off in front of a crowd of partially paid supporters to Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” (and while riding down on an escalator, no less), it did not go over well.
Young said in a statement that Trump was not authorized to use ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ in his presidential candidacy announcement.” The statement added that, “NeilYoung, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America.”
Trump’s camp claimed they paid both ASCAP and BMI for rights to the song, but would cease from using it out of respect to Young. The singer, meanwhile, out of respect to his own political beliefs, has turned around and given Trump’s opponent Sanders permission to use “Rockin’ in the Free World”.
Sanders, the Democratic candidate from Vermont, walked out to the track at a rally in Denver attended by an over-flow audience of 4,500 people. Folks were reportedly standing in the atrium and lacrosse fields outside the auditorium to hear Sanders speak; as far as we know, none of them were paid to be there.
Watch footage of Sanders’ “Rockin’ in the Free World”-aided entrance below (scroll to the 5:00 mark).
We’ve heard enough about it for months now. The album will be officially released June 30.
Moon writes:
“Having written some of the rock era’s most tender odes to love and devotion, Young, now 69, might well be a little conflicted. He understands how love can be an escape; he appreciates the notion of the love song as a salve for the soul. But he’s a chronicler of his times, and there’s so much going on in the world, from the erosion of basic freedoms to the erosion of the soil, and he feels a responsibility to sound the alarm. The title line is repeated often, in unwaveringly consonant ’60s-Coke-commercial vocal harmonies — a contrast to the acidic voice Young uses to inventory the many unpleasant realities that have riled him up.”
He calls the song: “People Want To Hear About Love” the most artful moment on The Monsanto Years, Young’s 36th studio album as a solo artist. “Taut” is his word for it, and Young is describes as “Snarly.”
“Here, we have a series of taut and stone-simple Neil Young songs that fit together under a catchall concept (about companies wielding extraordinary influence over many aspects of our quality of life), each powered by its own supply of righteous fury. Enjoyment of it probably depends less on whether you agree with Young’s positions than on how much tolerance you have for a mantra, repeated frequently, using the three syllables that make up the trade name Monsanto. It also helps to like your harangues set to three-chord rock and expressed through triadic melodies. This is not subtle, Harvest Moon Neil, brooding at the piano. This is ornery, snarly Neil. Give him a megaphone and a transcript of these lyrics, put him on a street corner and watch what happens.”
Neil Young used to dig Picasso, but now he is really digging Pope Francis.
In a message today, June 19 posted on his Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NeilYoung) he lauds the pious Catholic’s take on the world, taking to heart his just released 120-page encyclical.
Here is Neil’s Message:
Yesterday Pope Francis released his 120 page encyclical.
These words of wisdom resonated strongly with me
And fill me with gratitude.
His words bring welcome support to millions who yearn to do the right thing and be part of the rescue of our fragile shared home singulair asthma.
His powerful message gives me hope that being moved by his call, his followers will help turn the tide by beginning the urgent work of employing solutions that will address the social, economic and environmental crisis we face.
Pope Francis has given us a map for navigating these times
A few of his words –
I invite all to pause to think about the challenges we face regarding care for our common home.
There is a need to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress.
We need only to take a frank look at the facts to see that our common home is falling into serious disrepair.
We are learning all too slowly the lessons of environmental deterioration.
Whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenceless before the interests of a deified market. Economic interests easily end up trumping the common good.
The present world system is certainly unsustainable from a number of points of view.
A fragile world challenges us to devise intelligent ways of directing, developing and limiting our power.
Climate change represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.
These problems are closely linked to a throwaway culture.
The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together.
A true “ecological debt” exists, particularly between the global north and south.
Developed countries ought to help pay this debt by limiting their consumption of nonrenewable energy.
Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility.
For indigenous communities, land is not a commodity, but a gift from God, a sacred space.
Each community has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations.
The world we have received also belongs to who will follow us.
Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us.
Interdependence obliges us to think of one world with a common plan.
There is an urgent need for us to move forward in a bold cultural revolution.
There is no room for the globalization of indifference.
Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.
Here is a statement made by Neil Young posted on his Facebook page on June 17, regarding presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s use of the song “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” during is announcement that he is running for U.S. president:
Yesterday my song “Rockin in the Free World” was used in a announcement for a U.S. presidential candidate without my permission.
A picture of me with this candidate was also circulated in conjunction with this announcement but It was a photograph taken during a meeting when I was trying to raise funds for Pono, my online high resolution music service.
Music is a universal language. so I am glad that so many people with varying beliefs get enjoyment from my music, even if they don’t share my beliefs.
But had I been asked to allow my music to be used for a candidate – I would have said no.
I am Canadian and I don’t vote in the United States, but more importantly I don’t like the current political system in the USA and some other countries. Increasingly Democracy has been hijacked by corporate interests. The money needed to run for office, the money spent on lobbying by special interests, the ever increasing economic disparity and the well funded legislative decisions all favor corporate interests over the people’s.
The Citizens United Supreme Court ruling is proof of this corruption as well as are the proposed trade deals which would further compromise our rights.
These Corporations were originally created to serve us but if we don’t appropriately prioritize they will destroy us. Corporations don’t have children. They don’t have feelings or soul. They don’t depend on uncontaminated water, clean air or healthy food to survive. They are beholden to one thing – the bottom line.
I choose to speak Truth to this Economic Power. When I speak out on corporations hurting the common man or the environment or other species, I expect a well financed disinformation campaign to be aimed my way.
Such is the case with the reaction to my new album The Monsanto Years, which covers many of these issues. I support those bringing these issues to light and those who fight for their rights like Freedom of Choice.
But Freedom of Choice is meaningless without knowledge.
Thats why its crucial we all get engaged and get informed.
That’s why GMO labeling matters. Mothers need to know what they are feeding their children. They need freedom to make educated choices at the market. When the people have voted for labeling, as they have in Vermont, they need our support when they are fighting these corporate interests trying to reverse the laws they have voted for and passed in the democratic process.
I do not trust self serving misinformation coming from corporations and their media trolls. I do not trust politicians who are taking millions from those corporations either. I trust people. So I make my music for people not for candidates.
“Whatever happens when the Internet guy shows up, Young has found a direction for the future. ” by -- Neil Young 2010
Neil Young on Tour
Sugar Mountain setlists
Tom Hambleton provides BNB with setlists, thankfully. His website is the most comprehensive searchable archives on the Internets about anything Neil Young related setlists. Goto Sugar Mountain.
Presidential candidate, controversial businessman Donald Trump, fired back at Neil Young with a series of tweets, called Young out as a hypocrite.
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