“Barracuda is a powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use”: Nancy Wilson speaks out after Donald Trump uses a Heart classic without permission

Nancy Wilson is the latest artist to speak out against Donald Trump after the President used a Heart classic without permission.

The 45th and 47th President used Heart hit Barracuda during a military parade at the weekend that coincided with the US Army’s 250th anniversary and his 79th birthday. The guitarist has spoken out in a statement saying the song is “not meant for political use”.

Posting a selfie on Instagram in which she is wearing a ‘No Kings but Us’ protest cap, Wilson responded to Trump’s use of the song at the parade, in a bid to create distance between the politician and one of the band’s biggest songs.

“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,” her post reads, referencing sister and Heart vocalist Ann Wilson.

“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.”

Stating that the song was used “without permission or authorization from us”, she adds: “Barracuda, written and performed by Ann and I, is a powerful piece of music that was never intended for political use.”

The same cap was worn by protesters who attended around 2,000 nationwide rallies against Trump over the same weekend. Wilson is the latest in a long line of musicians who have voiced their disapproval of Trump using their music at various events without permission.

Jack White launched a lawsuit against Trump last year for using Seven Nation Army during his presidential campaign. The claims were later dropped, but only after Jack White warned against using any Third Man Records artist’s music.

Tom Petty also denounced Trump’s usage of I Won’t Back Down at rallies in 2020, four years after Twisted Sister had done likewise in the face of We’re Not Gonna Take It soundtracking his 2016 campaign.

Brian May, the Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, and Olivia Rodrigo are just some of the others who have been unhappy with Trump’s application of their music.

Nancy Wilson, meanwhile, is celebrating the safe return of her custom-built baritone Telecaster, the guitar was stolen from the stage in Atlantic City late last month. However, the search for a second missing instrument is ongoing.

And as Trump’s tariffs continue to put gear firms at financial risk, a documentary appears to confirm that Trump Guitars are manufactured in China.

A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He’s also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.