Neil Young dug up his Ronald Reagan-era protest song “Long Walk Home” for the first time since 1989 on Saturday during a show at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY.
Joined by his new band The Chrome Hearts featuring organist Spooner Oldham (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section), guitarist Micah Nelson (Particle Kid), and Promise of the Real‘s Corey McCormick on bass and Anthony LoGerfo on drums, Young slipped the politically charged ballad into a career-spanning setlist among fan favorites “Southern Man”, “Ohio”, “Harvest Moon”, “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)”, “Old Man”, and more. The beloved 79-year-old proto-punk curmudgeon put down his axe and sat at a weathered upright piano for the first “Long Walk Home” in 36 years, which he updated to reference both his Canadian homeland and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Originally composed in the early ’70s and titled “Letter from ’Nam”, the song expresses compassion for soldiers stationed abroad, capturing the emotional and moral strain of being far from home. When Young released it on his 1987 album Life, the lyrics were updated to reflect shifting political tensions with a reference to “old Beirut.” On Saturday, Young once again altered the words to address contemporary concerns, singing, “From Canada to old Ukraine,” instead of, “From Vietnam to old Beirut.”
Later in the set, he dusted off “Singer Without a Song” for the first time since 2013, marking the song’s Chrome Hearts debut. He finished the show with a message for the White House and the MAGA contingent, chanting, “Take America back!” during a raucous “Rockin’ in the Free World” encore.
Watch Neil Young perform “Long Walk Home” for the first time in 36 years, and click below to view additional fan-shot video highlights from his show with The Chrome Hearts at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, NY.
Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts will continue their Love Earth tour with shows across the U.S. leading up to Farm Aid‘s 40th anniversary featuring Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, Billy Strings, and more at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN on September 20th. Find a list of upcoming shows and tickets here.
Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts – “Long Walk Home” – 8/23/25
[Video: Matt Frazier]
Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts – “Ambulance Blues” – 8/23/25
[Video: Matt Frazier]
Setlist: Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts| Northwell Health At Jones Beach Theater | Wantagh, NY | 8/23/25
Set: Ambulance Blues, Cowgirl in the Sand (Neil Young & Crazy Horse), Heart of Steel (Fuckin’ Up) (Neil Young & Crazy Horse), When You Dance, I Can Really Love, Southern Man, Mr. Soul (Buffalo Springfield), Ohio (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), Long Walk Home (Neil Young & Crazy Horse) [1], Looking Forward (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), One of These Days, Harvest Moon, Singer Without a Song [2], Sun Green (Neil Young & Crazy Horse), Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) (Neil Young & Crazy Horse), Name of Love (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), Old Man
Encore: Rockin’ in the Free World [3]
[1] First time since 1989; live debut with The Chrome Hearts; lyric edit “From Canada to old Ukraine…”
[2] First time since 2013; live debut with The Chrome Hearts.
[3] Neil chants “Take America Back!”