Rockin 'in the Free World
| Rockin 'in the Free World | |
|---|---|
| Neil Young | |
| publication | November 14, 1989 |
| length | 3:38 min (acoustic version) 4:41 min (electrical version) |
| Genre (s) | Heartland rock , hard rock |
| Author (s) | Neil Young |
| album | Freedom |
Rockin 'in the Free World is a rock song by Neil Young . It was released in November 1989 as a single from his album Freedom . Rolling Stone magazine put him at number 216 in its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . Because of the lyrics in the chorus, the song is often incorrectly called Keep On Rockin 'in the Free World .
background
Similar to Hey Hey, My My , the song is available in two versions, with an acoustic and an electric guitar. The piece was first performed live in Seattle on February 21, 1989 . It played Young's band The Restless.
The text criticizes the administration of George HW Bush . His remark " thousand points of light " is quoted directly from his inaugural speech, as is the promise from an election speech from 1988 that the USA would become a "kinder, gentler nation".
An edited version was featured in the credits of Michael Moore's award-winning documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 . Moore's film dealt with the US under George Bush Jr. and the alleged threat to freedom posed by George Bush, including the Patriot Act. The Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump forbade Young in June 2015, the use of the song.
Cover versions
In addition to the well-known version of Pearl Jam , who also regularly play the song live, there is also one by Gerhard Gundermann with German lyrics and the title Alle oder keine from 1991. Jeff Walker and Die Flüffers covered the song in 2006 on their album Welcome to Carcass Cuntry , here with the wrong or changed title Keep On Rocking in the Free World . Walker's band Carcass had previously named the first track on their album Swansong (1996) in reference to Young's song Keep On Rotting in the Free World . Another version was added in 2013 by The Rides .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b History and Commentary on "Rockin 'In The Free World" lyrics by Neil Young . Retrieved October 18, 2013.
- ↑ Donald Trump is not allowed to play "Rockin 'In The Free World": Neil Young forbids the use of his hit. In: n24.de. June 17, 2015, accessed June 18, 2015 .
- ^ "Rockin 'in the Free World": Neil Young versus Donald Trump. In: Spiegel Online . June 17, 2015, accessed June 18, 2015 .