Neil Young message to Donald Trump: Stop rockin'
Donald Trump used 'Rockin鈥� in the Free World' at his campaign kickoff, prompting complaints from songwriter Neil Young. Mr. Trump is just the latest political candidate to clash with a musician about song rights and intentions.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally, Tuesday, June 16, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. Shortly after announcing his candidacy, Mr. Trump received a complaint from musician Neil Young for his campaign's use of the song 'Rockin' in the Free World.'
Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo
Less than a day after launching his presidential campaign, Donald Trump may already be hitting the wrong notes.
Mr. Trump announced his candidacy Tuesday to the sound of Neil Young鈥檚 1989 hit 鈥淩ockin鈥� in the Free World,鈥� but Trump had no permission to use the song, said Elliot Roberts, Mr. Young鈥檚 manager. The incident makes the real estate tycoon the latest candidate to butt heads with a musician about song copyright in a campaign.
鈥淒onald Trump was not authorized to use 鈥楻ockin鈥� in the Free World,鈥� 鈥� Mr. Roberts in a statement. 鈥淣eil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of [US senator and Democratic candidate] Bernie Sanders for president of the United States of America.鈥�
A campaign spokesperson said that Trump, a fan of Young鈥檚 music despite their differing views, used the song legally through a licensing deal with the (ASCAP), a performance rights group, Rolling Stone .
But ASCAP that in some cases, using a song for political purposes requires a campaign to reach out to the song鈥檚 publisher and the artist鈥檚 record label.
鈥淭he laws are complicated,鈥� The Washington Post鈥檚 Emily Heil . 鈥淚t may be okay to use a song in one setting, like a convention center, but taboo in another. How much of the song they use also could be an issue.鈥�
And even when a campaign does get copyright permission, artists can still object to the use of their music under that protect their brand or image, or ban implications of endorsement.
In this, Trump joins a string of politicians whose unauthorized song use has led to awkward headlines and, in some cases, legal action.
Former president George W. Bush used Tom Petty鈥檚 鈥淚 Won鈥檛 Back Down鈥� during public appearances for his 2000 campaign 鈥� until the musician鈥檚 publisher sent a cease and desist order that said the use of the song implied an endorsement that Mr. Petty would not give, Time .
In 2008, the rock duo Heart complained about the John McCain/Sarah Palin campaign鈥檚 use of their 1977 classic, 鈥淏arracuda,鈥� Entertainment Weekly that the song was written as a 鈥渟cathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women.鈥� [T]here鈥檚 irony in Republican strategists鈥� choice to make use of it.鈥�
During that same campaign, musician John Mellencamp asked Mr. McCain to stop using his songs, 鈥淥ur Country鈥� and 鈥淧ink House," instead Democratic candidate John Edwards at one of his rallies.
In 2011, Tom Petty again , this time to former Minnesota representative Michele Bachmann, for her use of his 1977 hit, 鈥淎merican Girl,鈥� at a presidential campaign rally.
In their 2012 campaigns, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich also had to stop using 鈥淓ye of the Tiger鈥� by Survivor and 鈥淲avin鈥� Flag鈥� by Somali-Canadian musician K鈥檔aan after the artists raised copyright issues, The New York Times . 聽
The list goes on, and in most cases the musicians involved were as upset about the message their songs were made to send as about unlawful use.
鈥淚 got a flood of Twitter messages from people who assumed that it was all true, that I was now a supporter of Mitt Romney鈥檚 campaign,鈥� K鈥檔aan told the Times. 鈥淚鈥檓 for immigrants. I鈥檓 for poor people, and they don鈥檛 seem to be what he鈥檚 endorsing. My song being his victory song didn鈥檛 seem quite right.鈥�