Neil Young Tears Into Trump With Blistering ‘Big Crime’ Protest Song
The legendary singer had harsh words for the “billionaire fascists” in the White House.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Neil Young launched a fresh attack against President Donald Trump this week with a new song that takes aim at “fascists” in the White House.
Recorded during a sound check at a show in Chicago on Wednesday, the song “Big Crime” does not mention Trump by name but makes no attempt to hide its subject matter, which includes his military takeover of Los Angeles and D.C.
“Don’t need no fascist rules / don’t want no fascist schools / don’t want soldiers walking on the streets,” Young sings.
“There’s big crime in D.C. at the White House… No more money to the fascists/the billionaire fascists/Time to blackout the system.”
Elsewhere during the song, whose lyrics were posted on Young’s website on Friday, the singer declares “No more great again” and speaks of the need to “get the fascists out/clean the White House out.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Young has been one of Trump’s fiercest critics in the music world, repeatedly taking shots at the president throughout both of his presidential terms.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Earlier this year, the Canadian-American singer expressed concerns that his criticism of the president could result in his being barred from re-entering the United States.

Neil Young has long been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
“If I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who are barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,” he wrote on his website.
“If the fact that I think Donald Trump is the worst president in the history of our country could stop me from coming back, what does that say for freedom?”
In another post this week, Young wrote: “Today Trump said his name deserves to be on DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE… Independence from Truth I guess.”
Young also took swipes at Elon Musk earlier this year during his time in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), penning two songs about the billionaire titled “Let’s Roll Again” and “If You’re a Fascist, buy a Tesla.”
Trump, on the other hand, claims to have been a fan of Young’s music “for decades,” and often used to play his signature hits “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk” at rallies in 2015 and 2020.

The legendary singer performed at a Bernie Sanders and AOC rally earlier this year.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
He’s got something very special,” Trump told Rolling Stone during an interview in 2008. “I’ve listened to his music for years. His voice is perfect and haunting. I’ve met him on occasions, and he’s a terrific guy.”
Young sued Trump over his use of the songs, but dropped the lawsuit in 2020 after he lost the presidency to Joe Biden. After learning that he supported Bernie Sanders during his first electoral campaign, Trump also dumped the song from his playlist, later claiming he “didn’t love it anyway.”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.


ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT