Neil Young Really Wants Trump to Stop Playing “Rockin’ in the Free World”

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Neil Young is filing suit after “Rockin’ in the Free World” was played at a Trump rally. The lawsuit—filed yesterday (Monday, October 26) in Virginia’s Eastern District Court—specifically cites an “unauthorized public performance” of Young’s 1991 protest anthem at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio on October 12. The named defendant is actually not President Donald J. Trump himself, but rather the Trump 47 Committee, his primary political action committee and the event’s organizer.

“‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ is a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless, and forgotten,” the lawsuit reads. “The lyrics paint vivid, street-level portraits—a mother discarding her baby, addicts lost in despair, garbage piling in the shadows of prosperity—while the repeated chorus delivers a savage irony, celebrating freedom that clearly isn’t shared by all. In short, the Song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.” Pitchfork has reached out to Young’s legal representation for further comment.

Young is seeking $10 million in damages on the grounds of copyright infringement, asserting that the Trump 47 Committee did not have “license or Young’s permission” to play the song at any “purely political event.” He also demands that neither “Rockin’ in the Free World” nor any of his other songs be played at future events organized by or associated with the PAC.

During the 2020 presidential election, Young sued Trump’s campaign committee, Donald J. Trump for President Inc., over their use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” and another of his songs, “Devil’s Sidewalk,” at campaign rallies. The parties settled out of court under the stipulation, according to the new suit, that the corporation “would never use ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ without a license and permission from Young.” However, as a separate organization, the Trump 47 Committee would be exempt from the terms of that specific settlement. Agh, technicalities!

Walden Green is a music writer and cultural critic who joined Pitchfork in 2024. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, his work has appeared in Dirt, The Fader, and Philadelphia. He lives in New York. ... Read More