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Neil Young Lyrics"Rockin' In The Free World" There's colors on the street Keep on rockin' in the free world, I see a woman in the night Keep on rockin' in the free world, We got a thousand points of light Keep on
rockin' in the free world, Writer(s): Neil Young This song expresses Neil Young critique of society and government during the time when George H.W. Bush was a President of the USA. The acoustic version of this track opens the album, the electric version closes it. This song was written in February 1989 as Neil Young toured the Pacific Northwest. His guitarist Frank Sampedro recalled to Mojo in a 2018 interview, "I said, 'Look, man, tonight, get in your room, think about all this stuff that's going down: the Ayatollah, all the stuff in Afghanistan, all these wars breaking out, all the problems in America… [...] And the next morning, we got on the bus to leave and he says, 'OK, I did it!'" " "We got a thousand points of light" is a quote from George H.W. Bush inauguration speech in 1989.
"Rockin' in the Free World" is a song by Canadian-American singer, musician and songwriter Neil Young,[2] released on Young's seventeenth studio album Freedom (1989).[3] Two versions of the song bookend the album, similarly to "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" from Young's Rust Never Sleeps album, one of which is performed with a predominantly acoustic arrangement, and the other predominantly electric. Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Rockin' In the Free World" number 214 on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" [4] Context[edit]Young wrote the song while on tour with his band The Restless in February 1989. He learned that a planned concert tour to the Soviet Union was not going to happen and his guitarist Frank "Poncho" Sampedro said "we'll have to keep on rockin' in the free world". The phrase struck Young, who thought it could be the hook in a song about "stuff going on with the Ayatollah and all this turmoil in the world.” He had the lyrics the next day.[5] The lyrics criticize the George H. W. Bush administration, then in its first month, quoting Bush's famous "thousand points of light" remark from his 1989 inaugural address and his 1988 presidential campaign promise for America to become a "kinder, gentler nation".[6] The song also refers to Ayatollah Khomeini's proclamation that the United States was the "Great Satan" and Jesse Jackson's 1988 campaign slogan, "Keep hope alive". The song was first performed live on February 21, 1989, in Seattle with The Restless, without the band having rehearsed it.[5] The song is included on Young's Greatest Hits (2004) release. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[7] Charts[edit]
Cover versions[edit]"Rockin' in the Free World" has been recorded by numerous other artists. A version by The Alarm appears on their album Raw (1991). Pearl Jam, joined by Neil Young, performed the song at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards and has frequently performed it live in concert.[11] It was also done by Swiss hard rock band Krokus on their 2017 covers collection Big Rocks. Roots rock duo Larkin Poe released a cover on their 2020 album Kindred Spirits. American nu metal band Soil released a cover in 2022.[12] Use of the song in US politics[edit]Since its release the song has been used a number of times at different US political events. In 2015 and 2016, the song was played during Donald Trump's grand entry preceding his formal announcement that he would run as a Republican candidate for the 2016 presidency.[13] Young, a longtime supporter of Bernie Sanders, said that Trump's use of "Rockin' in the Free World" was not authorized.[14] The contention, later determined to be a licensing issue, was resolved, and Trump's campaign used the song. Young explained to Rolling Stone that he had no issue with the campaign using the song.[15] Bernie Sanders also used the song at rallies for his 2016 presidential campaign.[16] In 2020, Trump again used the song at a pre-Fourth of July speech at Mount Rushmore on July 3, along with two other Young songs ("Like a Hurricane" and "Cowgirl in the Sand"). A tweet from Young from the official Neil Young Archives Twitter account responded to the usage of "Rockin' in the Free World” by retweeting a tweet from Rapid City Journal reporter Morgan Matzen that contained a video with the song playing at the Trump event with Young adding "This is NOT ok with me…". A minute later Young retweeted a second Matzen tweet, this time one showing a video of Young's song "Like a Hurricane" playing before the President took the stage, with Young adding "I stand in solidarity with the Lakota Sioux & this is NOT ok with me."[17] On August 4, 2020, Young filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against the Trump campaign for copyright infringement for its use of "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk" after both songs had been removed from ASCAP's political license.[18] On December 7, 2020, Young voluntarily dismissed the case.[19] References[edit]
What is the meaning of the song Rockin in the Free World?“Rockin' in the Free World” is an honest look at American life and the state of the world and social commentary on poverty within the country—people sleeping in their shoes—rampant drug addiction and child welfare, and the environment.
Who did the song Keep on Rockin in the Free World?Neil Young's “Rockin' in the Free World” is an arena-rock anthem and a grim state of the union address, as the gruff rocker saw it at the end of the 1980s.
How many beats per minute is rockin in the free world?Rockin' in the Free World is a song by Neil Young with a tempo of 132 BPM. It can also be used half-time at 66 BPM or double-time at 264 BPM. The track runs 4 minutes and 42 seconds long with a E key and a minor mode. It has high energy and is somewhat danceable with a time signature of 4 beats per bar.
Is Rockin in the Free World on Spotify?Rockin' in the Free World - song and lyrics by Neil Young | Spotify.
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Lyrics keep on rockin in the free world
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