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The Battle "Barracuda": Sarah Palin vs. Heart

The Week That Was: What’s in a song? Apparently a lot, if the song happens to be Heart’s 1977 hit “Barracuda” and the people playing it happen to work for Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. The day after the McCain camp used the song to highlight the GOP’s brash new political star, Heart front women Nancy and Ann Wilson publicly issued a cease-and-desist order. As the McCain campaign continues using the song on the trail, the battle lines have been drawn... but who's going to come out victorious?
An Advocate.com exclusive posted September 12, 2008
The Battle

What’s in a song? Apparently a lot, if the song happens to be Heart’s 1977 hit “Barracuda” and the people playing it happen to work for Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

Following Governor Palin’s address to the Republican National Convention, strains of Heart’s classic “Barracuda” filtered through the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., in deference to the first female GOP vice presidential nominee.   

After Palin made such a forceful and at times biting debut on the national political stage, the song seemed a dead-on choice to symbolize the GOP’s brash new political star. In fact, Palin earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda” as a basketball player at her Wasilla, Alaska, high school for being a tough competitor. 

Now flash-forward to the next day.

Heart front women Nancy and Ann Wilson were so aghast by the GOP ticket’s use of their music to promote Palin that they publicly issued a cease-and-desist order asking the McCain campaign to stop using their song, posthaste. 

In a statement to Entertainment Weekly , the Wilson sisters even went so far as to say that "Sarah Palin's views and values in no way [their emphasis] represent us as American women."

One might have thought that would be the end of the story, but Heart’s former guitarist Roger Fisher, who cowrote "Barracuda," had a different take on the matter. Fisher told Reuters he believed that the McCain camp’s use of the song benefited both sides: Republicans get "the ingenious placement of a kick-ass song" -- and Heart gets headlines and royalties. Part of that money, Fisher said, would be heading to the Arizona senator’s opponent: "With my contribution to Obama's campaign, the Republicans are now supporting Obama."

The McCain campaign didn't respond to The Advocate's requests for comment. However, according to CNN.com, the campaign has said that it had paid for and obtained all necessary licenses before using "Barracuda."

Hence, the song was still blaring through the streets of towns like Lebanon, Ohio, last week as McCain and Palin barnstormed through this year’s most contentious battleground states.

A spokesperson for Ann and Nancy Wilson has yet to comment further, so to quote the opening line of “Barracuda” –- “So, this ain’t the end.”

Duane Wells is an editor at large for GayWired.com
Keywords:  2008 Election 
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Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Billie Brand
    Date posted: 2008-10-06 1:06 AM
    Hometown: Los Angeles

    Comment:

    These chubby old Heart ladies, Anne and Nancy Wilson- their career is so in the toilet, they're reduced to playing Street Fairs! Allowing Sarah Palin to keep using the song would have been the best PR move in the world for them! Amazing how stupid they are!!! Look what Clinton did for Fleetwood Mac by using "Don't Stop.!" Heart should be lucky and grateful anyone would still care enough to use one of their songs!!!! Go Sarah Barracuda!!


  • Name: Larisa
    Date posted: 2008-09-15 8:30 PM
    Hometown: Seattle

    Comment:

    I think the real questions is WHO got paid and why did they allow it? Surely Heart has the right to deny the sale to anyone they choose. So how did the GOP buy the rights without them knowing or objecting? There appears to be more to the story here.


  • Name: Mary Murray
    Date posted: 2008-09-15 5:19 PM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    Actually Josh, since the McCain people paid to use their song they have every right to play it where ever they want, if the song wasn't for sale there wouldn't even be an issue, it was & there still shouldn't be.


  • Name: Josh Hudson
    Date posted: 2008-09-12 2:47 PM
    Hometown: San Diego

    Comment:

    Wow, that's kind of a shocking comment Mary. I mean, I get it. Work is work, but seriously. If they wrote the song (which they did) and then they hear it played by someone who goes against everything they stand for with the purpose of political gain, well... I'd be damn pissed. Grow up Mary!


  • Name: Mary Murray
    Date posted: 2008-09-12 2:34 PM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    God, they should be happy anyone even hears the song considering they haven't been doing anything in years. Frankly, anyone from the younger generation don't even know who they are. Grow up, Heart.


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