Neil Young Sues Trump Over Ohio Rally Song

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Neil Young says President Trump's fundraising committee is breaking a vow that "it would never again use Rockin' in the Free World'" at a campaign rally, and the musician is filing a $10 million copyright infringement lawsuit.

The "Heart of Gold" singer filed the suit against the Trump 47 Committee on Monday. In the filing, Young alleges that his 1989 hit was played just before Trump took the stage at a Youngstown, Ohio, rally on Oct. 12.

The lawsuit described the tune as a "blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten."

Posted by Corky at 03:13 PM | 2 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry |

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"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," according to the filing.

The song, the complaint said, is "the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for."

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"Neil Young - Rockin' In The Free World [Official Music Video]

Watch the official music video for "Rockin' in the Free World" by Neil Young, the lead single and iconic centerpiece of his landmark 1989 album Freedom. Driven by heavy, distorted electric guitar riffs and a fiercely rebellious chorus, "Rockin' in the Free World" is a scorching, sarcastic critique of political hypocrisy, poverty, and social decay in late-1980s America."

www.youtube.com

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler machine gun hand

#1 | Posted by Corky at 2026-10-27 03:20 PM | Reply

Pearl Jam & Billy Strings "Rockin in the Free World" 09/27/26 Dana Point, California

www.youtube.com

Billy rockin' out to Neil Young...

#2 | Posted by Corky at 2026-10-27 03:32 PM | Reply