Young’s publicist issued the official statement: “Donald Trump was not authorized to use ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ in his presidential candidacy announcement. Neil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for President of the United States of America.”
- Even David Crosby — currently on Neil Young’s persona non grata list for different reasons — chimed in posting on Twitter: “Trump has picked a fight with the wrong guy …bad idea.”
FAST FACTS
In recent years, left-leaning musicians have fought publicly against the GOP’s co-opting of their songs and their respective messages. . .
- In 2014, John Mellencamp took issue with conservative Republican Gov. Scott Walker once again using his 1985 song “Small Town” during his campaign appearances. Back in 2012 Mellencamp publicly separated himself and the message of the song when Walker used “Small Town” without permission during his recall election, which “effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers in Wisconsin.” The union law passed despite outcries from such liberal musicians as the late Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, and Billy Bragg. This time around, Mellencamp’s publicist shot hit Gov. Walker an email explaining that Mellencamp “supports collective bargaining and union rights.”
- Back in 2010, Mellencamp joined Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary in asking the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) to refrain from using their music to campaign against same sex marriage. Yarrow and Stookey objected to the anti-Gay marriage group using Peter, Paul & Mary’s version of Woody Guthrie‘s “This Land Is Your Land” at their rallies.
- Mellencamp previously had fought against 2008 Republican Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain using his songs “Pink Houses” and “Our Country,” without his blessing or legal permission, saying, “Are you sure you want to use his music to promote Senator McCain’s efforts? Logic says that the facts might prove to be an embarrassment, were they to be circulated widely.”
- In 2009, Jackson Browne claimed both a moral and legal victory over Sen. John McCain and the Republican Party after an out-of-court settlement was reached in his fight over the use of his 1977 classic “Running On Empty.” Browne, a staunch liberal, had sued the GOP over their unauthorized use of the song during the 2008 McCain-Palin U.S. Presidential campaign. Browne’s suit alleged copyright infringement, false endorsement and violating his right of publicity after a McCain campaign TV ad using “Running On Empty” began appearing on the air in Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as on the Internet.
- Details of the settlement include an undisclosed amount of money paid to Browne, a formal apology from Sen. McCain, the Republican National Committee, and the Ohio Republican Party — along with a pledge by the defendants to, quote, “respect and uphold the rights of artists and to obtain permissions and/or licenses for copyrighted works where appropriate.”
- In 2008, Ann and Nancy Wilson and Heart‘s music publishers sent a “cease and desist” order to the McCain-Palin campaign demanding they refrain from using the band’s 1977 hit “Barracuda” as a campaign song for Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin. The Vice Presidential nominee had been nicknamed “Sarah ‘The Barracuda’ Palin,” and the song was used during her appearance at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota.
- The Wilsons issued a statement saying: “Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late -70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.“