Musicians Complain about McCain Using Their Song, Again

John McCain has ruffled a few feathers after playing the 1977 Heart song “Barracuda” after his acceptance speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention. As it turns out, band members Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson aren’t too fond of Palin — and took to their official website to condemn his playing the song without their permission.

“Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women,” the Wilsons wrote in a statement. “We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. 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. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it there.”

The Wilson sisters said their representatives at SONY BMG and Universal Publishing have sent a cease-and-desist notice to the McCain campaign to not use the song in the future. The Wilsons explained that GOP officials never asked permission to use the song and that they wouldn’t not have received it even if they had.

This is the second time the McCain camp has gotten in trouble for using music without the artists’ permission in as many weeks.

Introducing Palin in Ohio, McCain entered to Van Halen’s “Right Now.” The bands publicist quickly informed the media that Van Halen did not give the Republican campaign permission to use the song.

– Katie Stapleton-Paff