Neil Young Responds to Donald Trump Using His Song for 2016 Announcement

One of the more bizarre moments (among many) from Donald Trump‘s Tuesday morning presidential candidacy announcement was that he walked out and exited stage to Neil Young‘s 1989 single “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

Why? Because the song was written as a withering critique of the George H.W. Bush administration for many of the same conservative policies Trump ostensibly supports. (Side note: “Rockin'” might just be the second-most misused political rock song behind Bruce Springsteen‘s “Born in the U.S.A.“)

In a statement from Young’s longtime manager Elliot Roberts, first provided to Mother Jones, the 69-year-old rocker responded as such:

Donald Trump’s use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” was not authorized. Mr. Young is a longtime supporter of Bernie Sanders.

No response yet from Trump’s camp, but we are sure it will be level-headed and polite, as usual.

By the way, for a vision of the future, imagine Trump riding an escalator forever:

And for another great song off Young’s Freedom, check out this essential live version of “Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero Part I)”:

[Image via

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