Keep on Rockin' in the Free World!

Long time rocker, folk artist, and condemner of war, Neil Young's "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World" is a classic political tune. The song has become an iconic anthem and it's status continues to rise as more and more artists cover the song. Young's lyrics are considered to be an indictment of the politics of the 1980's. In today's post-9/11 world, the lyrics seem prophetic and even more meaningful than when originally written on the eve of the '90's.

There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin' their feet
People sleepin' in their shoes
But there's a warnin' sign
on the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin'
we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan,
but I am to them
So I try to forget it,
any way I can.

The first verse serves as a warning to what lay ahead if we continue down the same path. "People sleepin' in their shoes" depicts the rampant homelessness problem we saw facing the nation under Reaganomics. Young's criticism of capitalism and American consumerism often lands him the title of "Satan" amongst his greedy capitalist counterparts.

Young continues...

We got a thousand points of light
For the homeless man
We got a kinder, gentler,
Machine gun hand

The lyrics are a direct reference to President George H.W. Bush's campaign pledge to create a compassionate citizenry volunteering to help cope with society's ills. The "thousand points of light" symbolize the American citizen's spirit and a shining example of giving selflessly to care for one another's neighbor and brother. Along with "a kinder, gentler hand", Bush believed that each American could contribute to helping make the United States -- and the world -- a better place to live and work.

The song is strongly democratic and with pro-American ideals in that it is a condemnation of the supply-side/trickle down politics of President Ronald Reagan. "Reaganomics" involved massive tax cuts in the wealthiest brackets which supporters claimed would trickle down to lower brackets. In fact, the policies led to huge federal deficits and exploding unemployment and social decay, particularly in large urban American cities that were left neglected, polluted, and destroyed.

The lyrics of "Rockin' In The Free World" also refer to the rampant and mindless consumerism of American culture and the rise of the disposable society based on waste and pollution. As Annie Leonard put it in her video turned novel "The Story of Stuff." Americans are on an ever expanding Work/Watch/Spend lifestyle. Non of which makes us any happier.

We got department stores and toilet paper
Got styrofoam boxes for the ozone layer
Got a man of the people, says keep hope alive
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive.

The lyrics "Got a man of the people, says keep hope alive" refer to the Reverand Jesse Jackson's signature phrase to "Keep hope alive." Young contrasts President Bush's rhetoric and Rev. Jackson's religion as solutions to society's ills, when in actuality, they are nothing more than "feel good" slogans with little results to show.

All in all, one of the greatest, and most notable political songs of all time. When Rolling Stone Magazine came out with the top 500 songs of all time, this song landed at number 214.

Keep on ROCKIN'!