Neil Young is suing Donald Trump‘s political action coalition the Trump 47 Coalition over the president’s use of “Rockin’ in the Free World” at a recent political rally, marking the second time Young has sued over Trump’s use of the song over the past few years.
In the complaint filed in federal court on Monday, Young’s team called the song “a blistering anthem that contrasts the hollow promises of American political rhetoric with the harsh realities faced by the poor, homeless and forgotten.”
“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,” the suit said. “In short, the Song is the opposite of everything that Donald J. Trump stands for.”
Young accused Trump of copyright infringement as he didn’t have a license for the track, and Young is seeking $10 million in damages. The White House didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
This isn’t Young’s first time suing over the president’s use of “Rockin’ in the Free World,” in particular, with Young taking similar legal action back in 2020 against another Trump group, Donald J. Trump for President. Young referenced that earlier suit in the new filing, stating Monday that Trump’s team “asserted no defense and immediately settled shortly after it was served, promising that it would never again use ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ without a license and permission from Young.”
Young is one of the entertainment industry’s most-fervent critics of the Trump administration. Last year, Young, a dual citizen of America and Canada, had voiced worry that Trump would bar him from returning to the country while he was on his European tour. Trump has proven unpopular among many musicians, having gotten into spats with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo, among others.
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