My Take | Embarrassing Antony Blinken is far from ‘rockin’ in the free world’
- US secretary of state’s cringeworthy performance of satirical song by Neil Young on Kyiv visit an unintended reflection of situation today
American politicians have a thing for “Rockin’ in the Free World”. Despite the title, were they even aware of the song’s bitter irony? Or did they just not care?
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken played the 1989 hit by Canadian rock legend Neil Young on stage during a visit to Kyiv early this month.
Donald Trump used it as background music to introduce himself at several rallies during his presidential election campaign back in 2016, at least until Young’s lawyers sent him a “cease and desist” letter.
It is possible that Trump didn’t know much about the song which was picked by his campaign managers. It was actually a satirical commentary on the state of America with its urban decay and societal breakdown during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush years. Conditions have not improved, and in some cases, actually worsened.
But Blinken must know the song. He played the guitar on stage, so he at least knew the main chords. He also joined the chorus – “Keep on rockin’ in the free world”. Thankfully for his captive audience, he didn’t sing the rest of it.
His message to Ukrainians was no doubt that they were fighting for the entire free world. However, traditionally, Ukrainians, like many central Europeans, have long had a love of Western rock music and the rebellious culture it represented since the Soviet era. So it’s likely that given the pivotal year of 1989 – the year the song came out – at least a few of them were aware of Young’s lyrics and their meaning.