Neil Young Hits Back In Defense Of A Cause Close To His Heart With Fiery New “Indian Givers”

photo credit: esquire.com
“I Wish Somebody Would Share The News…”
One of classic rock’s favorite sons, Neil Young is no stranger to crafting protest songs in times of turmoil and certainly, the events of the past few weeks have given the 70 year old rock legend plenty of songwriting fodder. Last weekend saw Young hitting back in defense of yet another cause close to his heart with the fiery new “Indian Givers,” a scathing commentary on the controversial construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline; Young, a longtime environmentalist and staunch supporter of Native American rights, supports and stands with with members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, whose reservation is located on the border between North and South Dakota and who believe that the pipeline’s construction can and will negatively affect the Missouri River – their primary source of water.
With fiery lyrics like “Bring back the days when good was good/Lose these imposters in our neighborhood/Across our farms and through our waters/All at the cost of our sons and daughters” paired with a simple, yet commanding drum and bass line “Indian Givers” is equal parts protest song and a plea for a return to simpler times – when human life was defined by more than how much it could be bought and sold for. Check out the music video for “Indian Givers” in the video below – it’s got some pretty powerful footage from the protests and features Neil summing it all up in a black t-shirt marked, “Protect”.