Neil Young

It’s both amusing and disheartening to witness, again and again, complaints about artists "injecting their politics" into their art. These comments reveal a deep lack of understanding about both art and politics. 

First of all, it is neither the function of art nor the responsibility of artists to reinforce your personal opinions about the world. Quite the contrary. Secondly, you cannot divorce politics from the artist. To suggest so displays a profound ignorance regarding the roots of  individual’s political leanings and the depth of these roots. Those of you who like Neil Young’s music but don’t like his politics must be listening to him on a very superficial level. Whether explicitly spelled out in his lyrics or not, his politics are there, deeply entwined with everything else that makes him unique. 

As @rivington66 asserts:

his soul comes through in everything he does. 

You cannot have the soul and not have what matters to him at a deep level. You cannot expect him to move you yet be inauthentic. You cannot expect him to entertain you but censor his humanity. You cannot expect him to be passionate and discount his conscience. If this is what you want from art, you are looking in the wrong place!  

@stuartk Exactly. Artists have the right to express themselves in music and conversation just as everyone else does. Ah, but then we have those who profess they love freedom but then want to censor others from speaking their mind. Personally, I have disagreements with various artists and people from all walks of life, I respect their right to speak their mind. 'True' freedom means respecting the right of free expression from those you may disagree with. 

@stuartk  True...to an extent.  Unless of course they're singing and writing about evil capitalism and commercial exploitation....which, of course, every artist takes part in.  Unless they're writing about saving the environment while flying on their private jet and hauling roadies and gear cross country in emission heavy vehicles. Which they do. Unless they're writing about love and fidelity while screwing around on the road, which we know happens from time to time.  Unless they're writing about their art and fairness and access to free speech while saying Trump can't play "Rocking in the Free World" or he withholds music from Spotify.  He and all artists can be hypocrites and to think someone should be able to just interject politics on stage but do things that are against those positions is somewhat naive. That's why I listen to the music and ignore the politics.  I love many artists who I couldn't see eye to eye with but I'd sit for a beer with them and would still be respectful of their opinion while not necessarily wanting to hear it after spending $300 for a ticket.  

@laminarman 

“Unless they're writing about their art and fairness and access to free speech while saying Trump can't play "Rocking in the Free World" or he withholds music from Spotify.“

There’s a word for misappropriating others’ work without compensation. It’s called theft. And, one doesn’t surrender their own rights simply because they believe other people should have them too. You’re really calling him out simply because he has held onto his principles, and that is beyond lame.

And so Neil can't speak freely until he gives all his money to charity, has to be the right charity of course. No more traveling to concerts or wherever, has to give up all earthly desires, give up ownership of his music.

So  now we have hypocrisy as the arbiter of censorship, well about 9/10ths of what i hear should be censored.