Neil Young Approved ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ for Tim Walz at DNC

Neil Young is all for Tim Walz using his music.

Before Walz, 60, used Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” as his exit song at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, Aug. 21, he asked the musician for permission, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported.

At the convention, the Minnesota governor — who’s a big fan of the song — formally accepted the Democratic Party nomination for Vice President.

Young’s approval comes after he took legal action against former President Donald Trump in 2020 for using that exact song.

At the time, he filed a copyright infringement lawsuit and was looking for up to $150,000 in damages for each infringement, according to the Associated Press.

In the complaint, Young said he “in good conscience cannot allow his music to be used as a ‘theme song’ for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate.”

Young claimed that Trump, 78, repeatedly used his songs at events despite him being publicly against his music being used at political events since 2015 when Trump announced his run for presidency. He alleged that organizers never obtained licenses to use the music.

Neil Young performs in New Orleans in May 2024.

“This complaint is not intended to disrespect the rights and opinions of American citizens, who are free to support the candidate of their choosing,” Young noted in the filing.

Young has long been outspoken about Trump. In January 2020, Young — who’s originally from Canada — shared that he became an official United States citizen to vote against Trump.

A month later, he shared an open letter on his website and called Trump a “disgrace to my country” and felt he was responsible for the “mindless destruction of our shared natural resources, our environment and our relationships.”

“Our first Black president was a better man than you are,” Young wrote, adding: “The United States of America, my country, is not a green on one of your branded golf courses that you can ride around on and damage so that other players cannot shoot straight.”

While Young did allow Walz to use his music at the DNC on Wednesday, DJ Snake spoke out after Lil Jon’s performance of their 2013 collab “Turn Down for What.”

“I did not and do not allow the use of my music to be played at a political event of any kind,” he wrote on X.

Source: CNN, Associated Press