The 1988 song Neil Young wrote to mock Eric Clapton: “You spineless twerps”
Whether you agree or disagree with Neil Young’s views on the world, the singer-songwriter has always seemed to have his heart in the right place and could hardly be accused of being a sell-out.
From the very beginning, Young has followed his gut instincts rather than trying to squeeze as much money as possible from every opportunity, as many of his peers have done over the years. Unlike others in similar positions, he hasn’t softened or abandoned his views after gaining immense wealth. If anything, he has become even more outspoken with age.
Those hippie sensibilities that led to him getting in his hearse and making the voyage down to California in the 1960s have never left him. While the world has changed dramatically since that time, his worldview remains refreshingly similar all these decades later.
Back then, the music industry was still far from perfect. Artists would often find themselves in record contracts that paid them next to nothing, and were almost impossible to leave. Therefore, to view it as some kind of utopia would be plainly incorrect, even if it can seem that way through rose-tinted spectacles.
However, in the 1980s, the greed that had always been part of the music industry became more visible and impossible to ignore. While it once, at least outwardly, prided itself on sticking it up to the man, it had been wrapped up in consumerism just like every other walk of life.
While streaming platforms, Jeff Bezos and Donald Trump now bear the brunt of Young’s frustration, in the 1980s, his anger was directed at artists who allowed their music to be used in commercials. In his eyes, it was a sacrilegious act and went against everything he stood for as an artist.
At the same time, Eric Clapton was subsiding his income by flogging Michelob beer, a decision that Young decided to parody through the music video for his track, ‘This Note’s For You’. Elsewhere in the song, Young poked fun at Michael Jackson and international conglomerates, including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Budweiser.
‘This Note’s For You’ was Young’s lighthearted way of getting one up on his contemporaries for allowing global corporations to line their pockets. Although the message was delivered with a knowing smile rather than any true malice, it still landed the Canadian in hot water as MTV refused to air the video.
In a moment of anger, Young retaliated by writing to the broadcaster. His letter read, “MTV, you spineless twerps. You refuse to play ‘This Note’s For You’ because you’re afraid to offend your sponsors. What does the ‘M’ in MTV stand for: music or money? Long live rock and roll.”
Unexpectedly, MTV saw the error in their ways and bowed down to Young. In a further twist, the video beat Jackson to win the ‘Video Of The Year’ award at the 1989 MTV Awards. During an interview with Village Voice Rock and Roll Quarterly, Young later admitted that he considered turning down the award, but changed his mind upon realising, “That’s almost the predictable thing to do.”
Explaining his decision, Young added, “You can’t get money to make videos if MTV won’t play them. In accepting the award, I thought I’d be able to make more videos and get ’em played.”
All these years later, Young is still forthright in his opinion that his songs should not be used to advertise products. However, after he sold the rights to half of his back catalogue in 2021 for $150 million, it’s no longer solely in his hands as to whether ‘Heart of Gold’ is soundtracking a hypothetical Draft Kings advert.
However, it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon. After Beck covered ‘Old Man’ for the NFL in 2022, Young shared a still from the ‘This Note’s for You’ video featuring the message “Sponsored By Nobody” attached to the front of a beer bottle. This got his point across clearly, and since then, brands have stayed firmly away from his catalogue.
Later, during an interview with Zane Lowe in 2023, Young reaffirmed his stance on using songs in commercials, stating, “No, I don’t like that. I like the songs to be the songs. I don’t want the songs to be associated with a product or with a movement or with a politician or with a sport or with anything.”
It must be said, Young may have a different stance if he were a new artist today. There’s no money in making albums any more; therefore, brands using songs in adverts can provide a much-needed financial lifeline that allows them to keep chasing their dream.
When Eric Clapton teamed up with Michelob in the 1980s, it was viewed as the epitome of greed, but now, for better or worse, these kinds of deals are a necessary part of the business.
