For Ann and Nancy Wilson of the rock band Heart, there's nothing fitting about the Republican National Convention's use of their 1977 hit "Barracuda."
That much became clear after the sisters issued a cease-and-desist order to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. The order seeks to bar the McCain campaign from using the song as an anthem to underscore images and appearances of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
The song was used as a musical backdrop during Palin's convention debut this week to capitalize on Palin's nickname of "Sarah Barracuda," a moniker she earned during intense basketball play in high school in Wasilla, Alaska.
The McCain campaign contends that it has done nothing wrong in its use of the song.
It is not the first time that the McCain campaign has run afoul of musicians. In February, John Mellencamp, a Democrat, told the McCain campaign to stop using his two heartland anthems, "Our Country" and "Pink Houses."
And in August, Jackson Browne sued the McCain campaign, saying it used his 1977 hit "Running on Empty" in a TV ad that ran in Ohio.
Reach Edward Ortiz at (916) 321-1071
