Music icon Neil Young calls out Elon Musk and Trump in bold live debut of protest anthem.
Neil Young has once again taken a political stand—this time with a powerful new protest song that openly targets Elon Musk.
During a benefit performance at the Autism Speaks’ Light Up the Blues* concert in Los Angeles, the 79-year-old legend debuted a fiery track titled Let’s Roll Again. The event featured his new band, Chrome Dreams, and marked the first public unveiling of the controversial anthem.
Neil Young’s lyrics take aim at electric cars, China, and American automakers
The song opens with a challenge to Detroit’s Big Three automakers—Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler—to produce safer, cleaner vehicles.
He then referenced China’s dominance in clean energy, calling it a hard pill for Americans to swallow.
‘Over in China/ They’re way ahead/ That’s hard to swallow,’ Young intones,
Elon Musk called out directly in new protest lyrics.
‘If you’re a fascist get a Tesla,’ he sang, apparently bemoaning Musk’s role in the Trump administration. ‘It’s electric, it doesn’t matter.’
The song then ends with another jab: ‘If you’re a Democrat, taste your freedom/ Get whatever you want, taste your freedom.’
“Over in China / They’re way ahead / That’s hard to swallow.”
A long history of clean energy activism fuels Young’s musical message
Young’s criticism of Musk isn’t sudden. He’s been a clean-energy advocate for decades.
In 2008, he launched *Linc Volt Technology* to retrofit gas-powered cars with clean alternatives. That same year, he showcased a battery-powered 1959 Lincoln Continental in San Francisco.
He’s also modified a Mercedes and Hummer to run on vegetable oil, proving his commitment to sustainable tech.
Neil Young’s feud with Trump also looms large in his new song
Young’s disdain for former President **Donald Trump** is nothing new. He’s publicly condemned Trump’s use of *Rockin’ in the Free World* and even filed a lawsuit in 2020.
He’s called Trump “the worst president in history” and accused his administration of stifling free speech.
In a recent post on his website, Young raised concerns that his criticism might lead to re-entry issues after his European tour.
“If I talk about Donald J. Trump… I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail.”
Young warns that political dissent may soon face harsh consequences
Young voiced deep concern about the erosion of **freedom of speech** in the U.S.
“If my opinion of Trump can stop me from returning, what does that say about freedom?”
He accused the government of intimidating critics and hinted at an unofficial crackdown on dissent.
‘If the fact that I think Donald Trump is the worst president in the history of our great country could stop me from coming back, what does that say for Freedom? I love America and its people and its music and its culture. … Remember Freedom of Speech?’
The rocker went on: ‘By these latest actions of our US government, it seems that those who speak out freely with their own opinions are now vulnerable to a non-existent Trump law. Then it seems to me that if you voted for Kamala Harris over Trump, that makes it possible for you to go to jail or be detained, punished in some way for not showing allegiance to what? How spineless is that?’
Neil Young’s battle for U.S. citizenship was fraught with roadblocks
The feud with Trump took a personal turn during Young’s citizenship process.
His wife, actress **Daryl Hannah**, revealed that Trump’s administration tried to delay Young’s naturalization over past marijuana use.
Despite repeated interviews and scrutiny, **Young gained citizenship in 2020**, proudly posting a salute in front of the American flag and a sign reading “Democrats register to vote here.”
Elon Musk remains silent as Neil Young’s message spreads
As of now, Elon Musk has not responded to the song or the controversy.
But with Let’s Roll Again, Neil Young has reignited his role as one of rock’s most vocal activists—fusing music, protest, and politics into a striking rebuke of two of America’s most controversial figures.