Watch Jack White and Pearl Jam to perform ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’
Neil Young has made such an impact on the world that in his extensive list of prominent disciples, he can count both Pearl Jam and Jack White in what is a significant testament to his legacy. Whether it be his work in Buffalo Springfield, CSNY or as a solo artist, the legendary songs he’s given fans seem almost endless. From the anthemic to the mellow, Young has covered every base, meaning that however listeners might be feeling, he has their back.
One of the highlights of his career is the 1989 hit ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’, a number taken from his 17th album, Freedom. A heavily politicised and high-octane track, it remains one of his most raucous, and duly, it has inspired many.
The track was born out of Young’s conversation with his longtime Crazy Horse guitarist, Frank ‘Poncho’ Sampedro, as they discussed global politics and the state of disarray they perceived the world to be in. After the chat, Young found himself truly inspired, and the next day, he had written one of his ultimate cuts.
“There was supposed to have been a cultural exchange between Russia and United States,” Sampedro recalled to Mojo in a 2018 interview. “Russia was getting Neil Young and Crazy Horse and we were getting the Russian ballet! All of a sudden, whoever was promoting the deal, a guy in Russia, took the money and split. We were all bummed, and I looked at him and said, ‘Man I guess we’re just gonna have to keep on rockin’ in the free world. He said, ‘Well, Poncho, that’s a good line. I’m gonna use that if you don’t mind.'”
“So we checked into the hotel in Portland,” the guitarist continued. “And we needed a song. We needed a rocker. We’d written some songs and they were good but we didn’t have a real rocker. I said, ‘Look, man, tonight, get in your room, think about all this stuff that’s going down – the Ayatollah, all the stuff in Afghanistan, all these wars breaking out, all the problems in America: ‘Keep on rockin’ in the free world’, you got that: put something together man, let’s have a song!’ And the next morning, we got on the bus to leave and he says, ‘OK, I did it!'”
The song has been so influential that Seattle rockers Pearl Jam, who have been keen to discuss the impact Young has had on them at many points, have covered the song numerous times across their career. Two of the most notable came in 1993 alongside the Canadian troubadour himself at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards and most recently at Madison Square Garden with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
Notably, what is arguably Pearl Jam’s most riveting performance of the track came at the NOS Alive festival in Portugal in 2018, a time when they welcomed garage rock master Jack White on stage to help them tear through an extended rendition. Interestingly, only a matter of minutes before White joined the band on stage, they teased his arrival by playing the iconic ‘Seven Nation Army’ riff during their track ‘Porch’.
