Keep on Rockin in the Free World

I have continued to be amazed at the reactions to president-elect Obama over the last several days. In the middle of the election season I thought about including the lyrics from a Neil Young song on my blog that seemed to fit the day, but never got around to it. The song is entitled "Rockin in the Free World" off of Young's 1989 album, Freedom. This is my favorite Neil Young song because it just absolutely rocks your face off! This was also my first Neil Young album so it holds a special place in my heart. The song is definitely politically charged, much of it directed to discontent with President George Bush. I am not endorsing the political messages in the song, but the song has always challenged me to think about the state of affairs of other people around me, especially those in less fortunate situations (see the 2nd verse). A local Christian band from Savannah, Fishermen, introduced me to this song in their concerts. I ended up going to seminary with one of the members of the band, Jimbo Bass. So for me, the song is as much a memory of Jimbo, Chip, Mike, and Jim's influence on my life as young teenager as it is anything else. The song still always moves me when I hear it. I thought about including a clip from YouTube featuring the song, but none of them where all that great. My favorite two however, are Neil Young with Pearl Jam at an MTV award show (back when MTV still played music) and a version with Bruce Springsteen circa 2004. I think for me the message I gather from this song is that despite the darkness there is hope, ultimately in Christ, but in the meantime, let's ROCK!

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 alot 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

Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world

I see a woman in the night
With a baby in her hand
Under an old street light
Near a garbage can
Now she puts the kid away, and she's gone to get a hit
She hates her life, and what she's done to it
There's one more kid that will never go to school
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool.

Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world

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

Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world