Heart Furious After President Uses Song

Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson recently slammed the Trump administration for using the band’s classic song “Barracuda” at Saturday’s June 14th military parade in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. The military parade coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

Nancy took to her social media to write: “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.”

“‘Barracuda’, written and performed by Ann [Wilson, Heart singer] and I, is a powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use.

“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. 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.”

Nancy included a photo of her wearing a hat that said “No Kings But Us”, a reference to the “No Kings” protests across the country on Saturday, denouncing what organizers described as Trump’s authoritarian policies.

The military parade featured dozens of armored tanks and artillery vehicles, such as Himars, army aircraft, including Black Hawk helicopters and Apaches, and more than 6,000 uniformed troops.

Instrumental versions of “Barracuda” and Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” were reportedly among the songs played during the celebrations. Attendance at Trump’s parade, which had an estimated cost of between $25 million and $45 million, was reportedly overshadowed by the millions who participated in approximately 2,000 anti-Trump “No Kings” protests taking place in cities and towns across the U.S.

 

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