Nancy Wilson blasts Trump for using Heart song in military parade: “Never intended for political use”
Nancy Wilson, the guitarist for the 1970s rock outfit Heart, has blasted US President Donald Trump for using one of the band’s songs in his military parade, saying it was “never intended for political use.”
Trump used the band’s 1977 hit ‘Barracuda’ as part of the parade held in Washington DC on June 14th to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the US Armed Forces, but Wilson claimed the song choice was not approved or authorised by either her or her sister and bandmate, Ann Wilson.
She took to Instagram later that day and said: “‘Barracuda’, written and performed by Ann [Wilson] and I, is a powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use. As daughters of a US Marine Corps major, we hold a deep and abiding respect for the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.”
However, she then added: “On a day meant to honour 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.”
Alongside her statement, Wilson posted a picture of herself wearing a baseball cap with the words “No kings but us” on it. She previously spoke of how she feels it’s “embarrassing” to be a current US citizen.
Wilson is just the latest in a long line of classic rock stars to blast the political morals of the current US president, with Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon re-releasing her song ‘BYE BYE’ last week with alternative lyrics last week to include words banned by the Trump administration.
This featured terms such as “climate change”, “mental health”, “diversity”, “transgender”, “uterus”, “injustice”, and “opportunity”, as she protested over Trump’s removal of any such Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, set to hit the most marginalised groups in American society the hardest.
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