Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz was given the go ahead to use Neil Young's “Rockin' in the Free World” at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.
Waltz ended his speech to rapturous applause and left the stage at the Democratic National Convention at Chicago's United Center to the tune of Young's “Rockin' in the Free World” from his 1989 album “Freedom.” CNN reported that Young had personally approved the song's use by the Harris campaign because it's a favorite of Waltz's.
The song's anthemic message has been used as background music for political parties in the past, most famously by Donald Trump in 2015 while campaigning for the 2016 election, but Young was not in support of the Trump campaign using the song, as he made clear in a statement at the time.
He sued Trump in 2020 for unauthorized use, citing not only “Rockin' in the Free World” but also a lesser-known song, “Devil's Sidewalk,” from the 2003 album “Greendale,” which was included on playlists for Trump rallies.
“Imagine having 'Rockin' in the Free World' play after the President speaks as if it were his theme song — it's not what I wrote it for,” Young wrote on his website at the time, saying he was particularly irritated by Trump's call for a military response to the Black Lives Matter protests.
The lawsuit also states that Young “has publicly opposed the Campaign's use of his music, first in connection with Mr. Trump's playing of 'Rockin' in the Free World' when announcing his candidacy for President on June 16, 2015. The Campaign responded by issuing statements stating that it had obtained permission to use the song and acknowledging that it was aware that permission was necessary.”
A representative for Young did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment.
The final day of the Democratic National Convention is on Thursday, when the Chicks are scheduled to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Pink is also reported to be performing at the 2024 convention. The first three days of the convention featured performances by John Legend, Jason Isbell, Patti LaBelle, Maren Morris, Common and Mickey Guyton, with John B making a cameo during the musical roll call.
