A Thousand Points

what does it mean to rock in the free world, anyway?

Democratic Vice Presidential candidate and gutter enthusiast Tim Walz walked off his nomination speech to the song every politician loves, “Rockin’ in the Free World,” with Neil Young’s permission. In reading the reaction to this from fans, a couple things struck me. The first is that it is a curious choice of song to celebrate democracy and freedom given its deeply sardonic lyrics. The second is some fans think you can separate Neil’s “music” from his politics. The third thing I’ve been thinking about is that we are finally seeing the transition from the Baby Boomer generation to the Gen X generation in politics. These are three interrelated points I want to explore. I’m sure I’ll hit another 997 points along the way.

Let’s begin with a little context. In 1988, at a much different nominating convention, Republican Presidential candidate George H.W. Bush first mentioned “a thousand points of light” to describe volunteerism. He continued to use the phrase throughout his campaign and election, eventually founding a non-profit to support volunteerism after leaving office. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating volunteerism, but I would argue that it is reputation washing of a sort. Instead of using government to tackle systemic social problems, Bush is passing it off to an unpaid labor force.

“Rockin’ in the Free World” was written while Neil toured throughout the following year with a band he called The Restless (Young and the Restless…) made up of Poncho Sampedro, Ben Keith, Chad Cromwell, and Rick Rosas. The set lists were varied and the shows heavy on Neil’s experiments with feedback. His reference to “a thousand points of light / for the homeless man” is obvious, but the definitive explanation of where the phrase “rockin’ in the free world” came from is an interview with Poncho Sampedro in Rolling Stone. It’s useful to read it in full:

I was riding on Neil's bus at the time. I was his cook on the bus, so we were hanging out 24/7. All this stuff was going down with the Ayatollah. I don't know if you remember that footage of them passing the casket along over the heads of thousand[s] and thousands of people.

There was a lot of "Hate America" demonstrations and we were supposed to do this exchange. We were going to Russia for the first time. It was a cultural exchange. They were getting us in exchange for the Russian Ballet. [Laughs] And it just fell through. Neil was like, "Damn, I really wanted to go." I said, "Me too. I guess we'll have to keep on rockin' in the free world." He was like, "Wow, that's a cool line." Then I said it again later and he said, "That's a really good phrase. I wanna use it."

He told me he was going to use it. We were checking into our hotel and the manager was like, "That stuff going on with the Ayatollah and alI this turmoil in the world." I said, "There's a song there, man. Come on, get to it." [Laughs] The next day he came up to me and told me to check out this lyric sheet. I only questioned one of them. I think it was "Keep Hope Alive" or something. He said, "No, no, no. That's a good one." We just started singing it and he taught me the harmony part. (Poncho Sampedro to Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, April 17, 2013)

With this context, we can see Neil’s mind at work. Sampedro meant the phrase to be somewhat cautionary, that they should stay out of dangerous places in the world and be content to play rock ‘n roll in the “free world.” However, Neil obviously heard the irony in the phrase, given all the issues America had and with a new President trying to pass them off instead of tackling them head on. It didn’t feel like a free world, when citizens are sleeping in their shoes, abandoning babies due to drug addiction, getting shot in the street, and polluting the air we breathe. It’s almost like Neil is putting a question mark at the end of the chorus with the verses in between.

So why do politicians love this song? Neil let Bernie Sanders use it in 2016, and was okay with Donald Trump using it the same year. By 2020’s campaign, he had changed his mind. Neil sued Trump after adding a reference to him in the song the previous year: “Got an orange lucifer / Using this song again.” Most bizarrely to me, current Secretary of State Andy Blinken played it with the punk band 19.99 in Kyiv, Ukraine in 2024. What exactly does he think he’s saying with that choice of song in a country devastated by war? I can understand Sanders’ use of it, but the others mystify me.

Going back to my three points, this is obviously a deeply misunderstood song. That’s a shame, because politically, it’s a laudable piece of art that points out the hypocritical way that we talk about freedom while ignoring the problems caused by some aspects of what we consider freedom. Namely, unfettered capitalism is naturally opposed to a social safety net and is the primary reason we are currently in the midst of a climate crisis. That climate crisis is an unhoused crisis, is a health crisis, is a drug crisis, etc. The worse the climate gets, the worse those other issues will get. Instead of mucking around with charities and volunteerism, governments that cherish “freedom” should be more concerned about the quality of life of their citizens. That’s Neil’s point in my opinion.

Let’s move on to the reaction of fans this week. I’ve seen a lot of chatter in online groups and it is either liberals celebrating, or conservatives complaining about politics in music discussion. How can you separate the writer of “Ohio” and “Southern Man” from politics? To discuss Neil’s music is to discuss politics. To appreciate Neil as an artist is to appreciate that he is concerned with political issues, particularly social and environmental issues. Instead of shying away from discussing politics in music appreciation, we should be diving in the deep end and celebrating the way music has always contributed to public debate. This is not a new thing, either. Songs (and art in general) have always been used to critique power. The problem, of course, is critiquing power is sometimes seen as critiquing those who support that power.

There’s a literary theory called “death of the author” that argues the author’s intent is secondary to the reader’s interpretation. This is a whole can of worms but it has become a concept people have latched onto as beloved directors, writers, actors, and musicians have done or expressed things that are antithetical to the values of the fans of their work. We can all think of a few high profile examples, I’m sure. My only explanation for conservatives pumping their fist to “Rockin’ in the Free World” is this theory. However, when they are shown Neil’s intent through its permitted use by Democrats, they immediately don’t want to talk about politics and just want to appreciate the “music,” as if the music doesn’t encompass the meaning of the song.

To wrap this up, let’s talk about Walz’ choice of this song to close his remarks. Walz has become something of a folk hero, with a demonstrated sharp musical taste. He falls just inside the earliest edge of Gen X, which excuses his affability (can you tell my generation?). So picking this anthem of the early 90s makes sense, but it’s not until you dive into the verses that you see it’s a litany of what he has been concerned with as the Governor of Minnesota: hungry kids, medical debt, affordable housing, reproductive rights, climate change, minding your own damn business. Look at this quote:

When Republicans use the word freedom, they mean that the government should be free to invade your doctor's office. Corporations free to pollute your air and water, and banks free to take advantage of customers. But when we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love. Freedom to make your own healthcare decisions and yeah, your kid's freedom to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the hall. (Tim Walz, Democratic National Convention, August 21, 2024)

Tim Walz clearly understands the message of “Rockin’ in the Free World.” I’m not sure I’d end a rousing speech with such a damning song, but it’s sending a message to others of my generation, that’s for sure. And the message is that Harris and Walz understand the problems facing the nation and want to use the inherent patriotism of its citizens to effect the future we all want.

The widely acknowledged definitive performance of “Rockin’ in the Free World” is from Saturday Night Live, with Neil, Poncho, Charlie Drayton, and Steve Jordan. Three ways to watch it: Neil Young Archives (subscription), Reddit, or the rehearsal on YouTube (which is equally as energetic, but lower quality).