Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz was given permission to use Neil Young's “Rockin' in the Free World” during the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night.
Neil Young – Rockin' In The Free World (Glastonbury 2009)
Walz concluded his speech to thunderous applause and left the DNC stage at the United Center in Chicago by walking onstage to "Rockin' in the Free World," a song from Young's 1989 album, "Freedom." According to a CNN report, Young personally approved the song's use for Harris' campaign, as it is a favorite of Walz's.
The song's anthemic message has been used as a soundtrack for previous political parties in the past — most famously in 2015 for Donald Trump's campaign trail for the 2016 election. Young, however, did not approve of the Trump campaign's use of the song, as he made clear in a statement at the time.
In 2020, he sued Trump for unauthorized use, citing not only "Rockin' in the Free World" but also a lesser-known song from the 2003 album "Greendale," "Devil's Sidewalk," which was part of the playlist at a Trump rally.
