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In the middle of his set in Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York, Neil Young sat down on Saturday evening and played his protest song from the Reagan era “Long Walk Home”. For the first time since 1989.
Political messages in change
The version remained faithful to the original from its 1987 album “Life”, but he changed a decisive line. Instead of “From Vietnam to Old Beirut …” he now sang “From Canada to Old Ukraine …”. Young established the connection to his support for Ukraine. Together with his wife, actress Daryl Hannah, he has been publicly committed to the country since the beginning of the war. Young originally wanted to start his “Love Earth Tour” in 2025 in Ukraine. However, he canceled the plans for the uncertain situation.
“Long Walk Home” was already a clear signal in 1987 that Young had left his initial sympathy for Ronald Reagan. In 1990 he told MTV that he had found individual ideas of Reagan well. For example, the idea of initiative in the communities. But with “Long Walk Home” and later even more clearly with “Rockin” in the Free World “(1989), he clearly positioned himself against conservative politics.
“Rockin ‘in the Free World” was created as a direct answer to George HW Bush’s campaign slogans such as “Thousand Points of Light” and “Children, Gentler Nation” – which Young composed in bitter irony. At the Jones Beach concert, he completed the evening with this song, supplemented by the call “Take America Back!”, Which he had already shaped in April at a Sanders/Ocasio-Cortez rally.
Rarities and a flooded ditch
Another highlight of the evening was “Singer Without a Song”, which Young played for the first time in twelve years. The song has not been released on any album and only appeared briefly during the Crazy Horse Alchemy Tour 2012–2013 and at some benefit concerts.
The situation in the auditorium was also unusual: due to the aftermath of the Hurrican Erin, the water in the area in front of the stage slowly increased. The trench in front of the stage is located below the sea level, which is why fans were offered alternative seats with standing room cards. This grew the rare image of an empty, filling pits directly in front of the stage while Young played.
Tour continues
The “Love Earth Tour” continues on Monday at the historic town of Woodstock in Bethel, New York – hopefully this time without flooding.