Rock sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson engraved their names into rock history with their band “Heart”. The Seattle-based group has sold over 35 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. One of the most acclaimed songs of the band is their rage anthem “Barracuda”. The song was released as a single on their third studio album “Little Queen”.
Let’s dive into the story and meaning behind the song!
The Story and Meaning Behind Barracuda
To phrase it plainly, “Barracuda” is a song that calls out an idiot for its idiotic behavior. Which was an ever-so-common occurrence for the rock sisters in the men’s ruled music scene. A scene where some men degenerated the sisters based upon the sole fact that they were women. So it isn’t shocking to learn that the song is based on a true story.
At the time, rumors spread that the sisters were lesbian lovers. This rumor was created by the band’s record company Mushroom Records. As a publicity stunt for Heart, the company ran an advertisement with the controversial caption: “It was only our first time.”
After this ad was released, a radio promoter took the opportunity to confront Ann Wilson in a sickening manner. In an interview with AXS TV Ann Wilson said: “Well, ‘Barracuda’ was just a moment, it was a flash of anger, of realization, of what we’ve gotten ourselves into. It happened one night after a show. Some really sleazy guy came up to me and implied to me that he was really turned on by the fact me and Nancy were lesbian lovers. And that just really got him going, in his fantasy.”
Enraged by the disrespectful attack on their integrity Ann Wilson went down to her hotel room and aggressively penned down the lyrics to “Barracuda”. All the lyrics needed was some aggressive music to go along with it.
The song’s aggressive guitar riff was inspired by the band Nazareth. Heart used to open for the band while touring in Europe. Nazareth had a cover hit with a Joni Mitchell tune called “This Flight Tonight”, a song on which the band featured a recognizable boom-chacha-boom-chacha opening riff. Heart took the riff and turned it into “Barracuda”.
Mushroom Records disgusting headline eventually led to Heart leaving the record company. The group signed for the newly formed record company Portrait Records to release their third album “Little Queen”, with “Barracuda” as the album’s first single.
Although the confrontation with the sleazy radio promoter was the spark that lit “Barracuda’s” fire, the song is about the music industry in general. Producer of the song Mike Flicker said in an interview with MIX: “Barracuda could be anyone from the local promotion man to the president of a record company. That is the barracuda. It was born out of that whole experience.”
![The wilson sisters of heart. writers of the song barracuda](https://songstoriesmatter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Nancy_and_Ann_Wilsonheartt-1024x865.jpg)
The Legacy of Barracuda
The song peaked at number 11 on the billboard hot 100. It stayed on the US charts for 20 weeks. “Barracuda” is among Heart’s most popular songs and a fan-favorite. The song is a staple in Heart’s live shows, having it played over 800 times.
All in all, “Barracuda” is a well-thought-of rage anthem. It’s a perfect dig at the music scene of the 7os and a great anthem against all the “Barracudas” out there.