Over the weekend, a military parade in Washington, D.C. celebrated the United States Army’s 250th birthday. However much media coverage of the event linked it to President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday celebration. Instrumental versions of several classic rock songs were played during the parade. Among them was Heart’s 1977 hit “Barracuda.”
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Nancy Wilson was not pleased to hear the song she and her sister wrote used during the parade. She made no bones about her opinion when she took to social media last night (June 15). “Earlier today, during a parade held in support of our nation’s military and organized by President Donald Trump, the song ‘Barracuda’ by Heart was played without permission or authorization from us,” Wilson wrote. The song, she added, “is a powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use.”
Wilson then took a moment to share her feelings about those who serve in the United States armed forces. “As daughters of a U.S. Marine Corps major, we hold a deep and abiding respect for the men and women who serve in our armed forces,” she wrote. “On a day meant to honor that service, it’s important that music used in such settings reflects not only the tone of the event, but also the wishes of the artists who created it.”
This Isn’t Nancy Wilson’s First Quarrel Over “Barracuda”
This isn’t the first time Nancy Wilson has come out against Heart’s music being used politically. Sarah Palin used “Barracuda” as her theme during the 2008 presidential campaign in which she was running for vice president. She used the song because her high school nickname was Sarah Barracuda. Whatever the reason, the Wilson sisters weren’t happy to hear that their music was being used during political events.
“The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late ’70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women,” Wilson told Entertainment Weekly at the time. “While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in the Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”
Why Heart Wrote “Barracuda”
The story behind what inspired Heart to write “Barracuda” makes it an odd choice for any political event, regardless of party affiliation. According to Songfacts, the Wilson sisters wrote the song after their former label, Mushroom Records, ran an ad that implied Ann and Nancy Wilson were lovers.
A promoter approached Ann after a show in Detroit and asked how her lover was doing. At the time, she was in a relationship with Michael Fisher, who was also a member of Heart. She became justifiably furious when the promoter clarified that he was talking about Nancy.
They wrote the song not long after that interaction. The Wilson sisters used the large predatory fish as an analog for the sleazy and exploitative side of the music industry.
Featured Image by CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
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