Neil Young: The Peacemaker?

Neil Young invites Donny to his summer tour. Why?

In the spring of 2006, the Iraq War raging out of control, then-Canadian singer/songwriter Neil Percival Young, fired up over a USA Today story he read about wounded American soldiers, headed for the studio to record a new song, “Let’s Impeach The President,” the centerpiece of what would become a hastily recorded, political diatribe of an album called “Living With War” that laid into the Bush Administration like nobody’s business. Neil, by then a recording veteran, went all out.

He did a series of CNN-flavored videos for every anti-war, anti-Bush song on the record, gathered a 100-person chorus to sing “America The Beautiful” and even later toured with David Crosby, Graham Nash and Stephen Stills through the South, stirring up a hornet’s nest of Republican protest. Then, to cap it off, he did a DVD release of that tour like it was a CNN special, not a concert video at all. He even embedded a journalist.

We’d never seen a popular recording artist to go to such extremes. Was Neil becoming a social activist? What would this mean for his recording future? Nothing, as it turned out.

Yet as he often does, Neil moved on and though many Americans think there are plenty of reasons for him to reprise that single immediately, so far, he’s refrained.

President Trump was invited on Neil Young’s summer tour — by Neil Young!

When Bruce Springsteen opened his European tour with strong words of criticism of the Trump Administration, Neil, along with U2’s Bono and many other musicians stood by “The Boss” — even though Attorney General Pam Bondi asserted “it was illegal to call yourself the boss if you’re not in charge of the entire country.”

Since humor isn’t exactly what you’d call a Republican strength, she was actually serious. These are the people we have in charge.

So, with this for a backdrop, our Mr. Young, now an American citizen, just came out with this statement on his Neil Young Archives website.

Since I’ve never seen a Neil Young bootleg album with “YMCA” on it, it’s doubtful that the President would attend or “dance,” which is just as well because food is often served at these events. But what in the world is Neil saying here? I’ve read it three times and I’m still not sure.

There’s no mistaking his intent in the title, right? “Wake Up America.” And his opening sentences — “Our country and our way of life, that which our fathers and theirs fought for, is now threatened by our government…You can stand up for American values this summer, for our children and theirs.”

Ok, Neil, how? This is where it gets tricky. He doesn’t say how, exactly. Maybe he doesn’t know how. This surely seems to be critical of the Trump Administration and all the law-ignoring things they seem to be doing or trying to. That seems clear.

But then we get this, “When I tour the USA this summer, if there is not martial law by then which would make it impossible, let’s all come together and stand for American values. We will not be doing a political show. We will be playing the music we love for all of us to enjoy together. President Trump, you are invited.”

“IF THERE IS NOT MARTIAL LAW BY THEN”? Did he think we were going to miss that? What kind of shape will America be in if Trump enacts martial law?

Then, to toss out, “let’s all come together and stand for American values” adding, “We will not be doing a political show.” What does that mean, exactly? He won’t play “Ohio”? What about “Throw Your Hatred Down” — advice that his Administration would do well to heed? Or what about his latest: “Big Change” “Big change is coming. It’s bad and it could be good” — his guitar-charged political waffle recorded and rush-released a month before the Trump-Harris Presidential election? “Could be bad and it could be good?”

What the hell is that? “It might rain and it might not.” “I could be hungry or I might not want to eat.” “I could have a donut or I could have a croissant.” ?????

Neil Young had no problem stopping the Donald Trump campaign from using his “Rockin’ In The Free World” during his campaign, had no problem speaking out in support of Bruce Springsteen’s critical comments made overseas and has written critically of President Trump again and again on his website. Like he did here:

Of course, nobody explains to Donny that the musical performers HAVE to be paid, otherwise it’s an illegal campaign contribution. But if Neil can lay into Trump on his website again and again, issue strong quotes, including telling Trump “I’m not afraid of you,” what in the world is with today’s statement?

Is inviting Trump and promising a non-political concert going to do anything but encourage him to keep doing these Fascist things? Wouldn’t it be more in tune with Neil Young’s soul to speak out, to resist, instead of pretending that him playing “Heart Of Gold” for the 10,00000th time expresses what he’s truly feeling in his soul, that that song will truly “Wake Up America.” If you’re going to take a stand, Neil, take a stand!

Then, I don’t know, maybe envisioning ugly scenes and MAGA hats and booing and still more American division, he seemed to lose the thread. Or his gumption. I’ve spent a good part of this year listening to Neil’s music just about every day and while many of the twists and turns of his lengthy career are baffling, today’s statement completely throws me.

If he can get that angry at President George Bush for a wrong-headed Iraq War that you do an album, a tour, all sorts of video in protest, what do you have to say about what you’re seeing every day, all around you? Are you afraid of pissing people off for the first time in your life you’ve worried about that? Or are you unsure about what you’re seeing from Trump: “could be bad and it could be good.”

I sure as hell don’t see it that way. Neither does Bruce or Bono or many other musicians, including you. At first. I wonder what changed.