"A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop" is a song recorded by Neil Young and Promise of the Real. It is a protest-song aimed at the companies Starbucks and Monsanto. The piece comes from the concept album The Monsanto Years, which primarily criticizes the firm Monsanto.
"A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop" | |
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Song by Neil Young & Promise of the Real | |
from the album The Monsanto Years | |
Language | English language |
Released | 2015 |
Recorded | ![]() |
Genre | rock |
Label | Reprise Records |
Songwriter(s) | Neil Young |
Producer(s) | Neil Young & John Hanlon |
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The song was released as a single in May 2015 and is the first song on the album The Monsanto Years.[1][2]
It refers to the lawsuit by Monsanto against Vermont due to the state's attempt at passing a GMO labeling law.[3] The song also references "the poison tide of Monsanto" and a farmer who signs a GMO deal when Young sings, "I want a cup of coffee but I don't want a GMO. I'd like to start my day off without helping Monsanto."[4][5]
In a brief review of the song, Stefan Schmidt in The National Singles Round-Up also remarked that song did not hold back against critiquing Starbucks and Monsanto and suggested that Young hadn't lost his appetite for tackling political issues.[6]
As of the 31st of May 2015, the song was also rewarded with the title "Video of the Week" on the Food Consumer website.[7]
Young also introduced an acoustic version of the song in Maui while performing at "OUTGROW Monsanto", a festival held to protest Monsanto's business practices in Hawaii.[8]
Moreover, the song was also featured in Young's July and October 2015 tours, for which Promise of the Real served as his backing band.[9]
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