Neil Young sues Trump's political committee again over the use of 'Rockin' in the Free World'

Lawsuit again over the same song

Canadian rocker Neil Young filed a lawsuit on Monday against Donald Trump's political committee — Trump 47 Committee Inc. — accusing the organization of copyright infringement over the use of the song 'Rockin' in the Free World' at rallies ahead of the midterm elections. The 1989 track regularly plays as Trump's walk-on music. This was reported by euronews, citing the lawsuit, which was obtained by Variety.

The substance of the demands and the reference to the old agreement

Young's team is seeking $10 million (about €8.9 million) in damages and a ban on the Trump campaign's public use of the song. The key argument of the lawsuit is a violation of the terms of a previous settlement: in 2020, the musician and his publisher Silver Fiddle Music had already filed a copyright infringement suit against Trump's campaign, but withdrew it after an agreement under which the campaign promised not to use 'Rockin' in the Free World' without permission. 'The Committee currently does not have, and did not have at the time of the Youngstown rally, nor at any other rally... a license, nor Young's permission, to perform the Song at any public political event,' the new lawsuit states. The document also argues that Young suffered reputational damage from the impression being created that he supports Trump.

The song as a political statement

The lawsuit emphasizes that the song, written as a critique of the politics and American society of the George H. W. Bush era, is widely known as anti-Republican: in the document's wording, it is 'directly opposed to everything Donald J. Trump represents.' The lyrics, as noted in the lawsuit, contrast the empty promises of political rhetoric with the reality of the poor, the homeless, and the 'forgotten,' while the chorus sounds like irony about a freedom not everyone enjoys.

A long-running conflict and context

Young has long been a critic of Trump. Last year he defended Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift in a blog on the Neil Young Archives website, and earlier this year he offered the people of Greenland a free year of access to his music against the backdrop of Trump's threats to annex the territory. He is far from the only artist contesting the use of their music: objections had previously been raised by Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Rolling Stones, Adele, Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, The White Stripes, ABBA, Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, R.E.M., and Leonard Cohen's heirs, and in June Ariana Grande criticized the White House for using her song in a post about ICE arrests. The US midterm elections are scheduled for Tuesday, November 3.