Here's some free advice for anyone planning to announce they are running for president: Don't play music at your rally without the artist's authorization, and certainly don't use a song by someone who would never endorse you in a billion years.
When Donald Trump announced he's joining the million or so other people vying for the GOP presidential nomination, Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" played in the background. This didn't please Young, who told the Los Angeles Times through his manager, Elliot Roberts: "Donald Trump was not authorized to use 'Rockin' in the Free World' in his presidential candidacy announcement. Neil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for president of the United States of America." Roberts also said he has contacted Trump's people and requested they stop using the song.
Another bit of advice: If you are running as a Republican, don't play a song that criticizes a former Republican administration. "Rockin' in the Free World" was released in 1989, with lyrics that suggest President George H.W. Bush didn't care about the poor ("We got a thousand points of light / for the homeless man / We got a kinder, gentler machine gun hand"). Listen for yourself in the video below. Catherine Garcia
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