The first song Heart ever wrote: “I was so pissed off”
In the pantheon of overlooked icons, it’s hard to avoid naming Nancy Wilson and Ann Wilson of Heart. Being the deeply misogynistic industry it was and still is, the sisters had more than just radio air time to overcome in their pursuit of an artistic career.
Cutting through heavily marketed hyper-masculinity and a brand of punk-rock that went with it, Heart forged a reputation for blending multiple genres with a melody-led focus, intertwining stunning lyrical takes in between. As sisters, you can well imagine that the touchstones of their influence echoed through the walls of their house, imprinting a songwriting style that made its mark long before the success of Heart.
While it was indeed under the name Heart they eventually made their mark and cut through the noise of industry chauvinism, they were quietly experimenting with their greatness on more muted terms. Before joining forces with her sister Nancy, Ann Wilson’s vocals were heard on ‘Through Eyes and Glass’ by Ann Wilson and The Daybreaks. Showcasing a somewhat haunting vocal take, it gave fans a glimpse into the sort of greatness she would achieve with her sister Nancy but put her in a more isolated spotlight to enjoy it. Which, to Nancy, was unfair.
“I didn’t get my songwriting credit on the label; I was so pissed off,” Nancy told Howard Stern during an interview on his radio show, where it was also revealed that they co-wrote that song inside the walls of their childhood home.
While Nancy would later be given the credit she deserved for Heart’s later discography, it can’t be forgotten that she contributed to the genesis of one of her sister’s standout vocal moments.
“We were trying to channel Paul Simon real hard on that one,” Nancy explained to Stern, before later admitting she thought “it was the first good song we ever accomplished.” Not only was it a lyrically nuanced number, but it showcased a refined ability to play with sonic expanse and layer instruments that ranged from standard percussion all the way to flute to make something that still firmly existed within the sort of soft but rocky realm Simon occupied so well.
Her sister elaborated on the story, saying, “I think it was a bold attempt at making a song, song,” in what is a creatively abstract term for admitting that it was a work of sonic refinement.
It comes as no surprise that the Wilson sisters’ pursuit of making a “song, song” is in tandem with their pursuit to emulate Paul Simon, who they’ve made no bones about heralding as an influence. In a 2022 interview with Forbes, Ann Wilson was asked to pick any song from history she’d have liked to have written, and she revealed, “I would love to have written ‘One Man’s Ceiling is Another Man’s Floor’, of course ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, one of his best. Yeah, there’s just so many songs that he wrote that are so amazing.”
But while Simon set the standard for artists like the Wilson sisters, they blazed an important trail for burgeoning artists after them. While it culminated on stage during performances of major heart hits like ‘Barracuda’, it all started during the modest beginnings of their family home.
