Neil Young personally approved vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s use of “Rockin’ In The Free World”

Neil Young personally approved vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s use of “Rockin’ In The Free World”
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz ended his speech at the DNC Wednesday and walked off the stage to Neil Young’s classic tune “Rockin’ In The Free World,” and it turns out Young was perfectly OK with that.

Reps for Young have confirmed to ABC Audio that the rocker personally gave his permission to allow Walz to use the track, which originally appeared on Young’s 1989 album, Freedom.

It’s far from the first time “Rockin’ In The Free World” has been used by a politician, but Young hasn’t always been happy about it. In fact, in the past he’s threatened to sue Donald Trump over his repeated use of the song. Trump first used the song when he announced he planned to run for president back in 2015, then used it in subsequent rallies over the years.

News of Young’s approval was first reported by CNN.

And Young’s tune wasn’t the only classic track to soundtrack Walz’s appearance at the DNC. Ahead of his speech he walked out to John Mellencamp’s “Small Town.”

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