Neil Young Unleashes Fierce Anti-Trump Track ‘Big Crime’ from Chicago Soundcheck
Legendary rocker Neil Young has returned to political commentary with a powerful new song titled “Big Crime,” sharply targeting President Donald Trump and his administration’s recent actions in Washington, D.C.
The track, recorded during a soundcheck on Young’s Love Earth World Tour stop at Chicago’s Northerly Island with his band, the Chrome Hearts, delivers a searing critique of Trump’s declaration of a “crime emergency,” the federal takeover of the city’s police force, and deployment of the National Guard, even though the city had recently reported crime levels at a 30-year low.
With lines like “There’s big crime in DC at the White House”, Young interweaves commentary on Trump’s legal troubles and aggressive public security measures. The lyrics further denounce authoritarianism: “Don’t need no fascist rules / don’t want no fascist schools / don’t want soldiers walking on the streets,” pushing for the removal of “the billionaire fascists” and a decisive rejection of the Make America Great Again slogan with the refrain “No more great again.”
Though Young has long been critical of Trump, previously objecting to the use of his music in the former president’s rallies and updating his own protest songs, “Big Crime” marks a notably bold escalation in his musical resistance. His earlier direct actions included a lawsuit to prevent Trump from using his songs, which he later dropped, and updating his 2006 track “Lookin’ for a Leader” with new anti-Trump verses.
Now a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen, Young has even expressed anxiety that his outspoken political positions could endanger his ability to reenter the U.S. after international performances.