McCain Camp Battles Heart Over 'Barracuda'

Part of this week's election sideshow has been the emerging tiff between the rock band Heart and the McCain campaign. McCain has been playing their song "Barracuda" on the campaign trail in honor of Sarah Palin, and Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart don't like it, not one bit. "Sarah Palin's views and values in no way represent us as American women," they stated to Entertainment Weekly. "We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image." Of course, they were only too happy to let Fergie ruin the song, so it's safe to say that the Wilsons aren't completely on the right side of the credibility line, here, either.

The McCain camp says that their ducks are in a row, where licensing the song is concerned. And Heart's former guitarist, Roger Fisher, is pretty sanguine about the matter, noting that the royalties received can go right to the Obama campaign. But I still think that a protracted battle with Heart over the use of "Barracuda" redounds to no one's benefit, especially if it inspires some insipid and angry movie from Nancy Wilson's spouse Cameron Crowe, starring Kirsten Dunst.

The real issue here, of course, is the fact that the ideology of most contemporary rock musicians creates an almost intractable gap with the Republicans who just want to keep their voters fired up during those interminable waits between stump speeches. Outside of the Kid Rock songs not themed around strippers and meth and the quasi-Xtian crud proffered by the Scott Stapps of the world (a phenomenon I have faced firsthand), there isn't a whole lot decent stuff in the rock catalog for the GOP to use.

The conventional wisdom is that Nashville tends to stay home for the GOP, but there are holes in that theory as well: country music superstar Tim McGraw is a Democrat, Toby Keith is Obama's most awkward supporter, and McCain himself could only get one half of Big And Rich (the "Rich" half, natch) to pen and perform - ad infinitum/nauseam - that test-case of the Law of Diminishing Returns, "Raising McCain" (which would make an excellent song for a future McCain-Palin network sitcom).

Back in 2006, the National Review attempted to make a conservative case for fifty rock songs - but the results was a mixed bag of badly misinterpreted lyrics and tunes that were frankly more in the Reason/libertarian vein. An example? "You Can't be Too Strong" by Graham Parker, to which I retorted:

Parker asks of someone who's had an abortion, "Did they tear it out with talons of steel?" To which I reply: "No, silly. In America, abortion is safe and legal and performed with sterilized medical instruments." Also, I love NR's qualification: "Although [the song]'s not explicitly pro-life..." Sixty percent of the way through and they're defining the standard of success downward--just like the Iraq war!

In the end, the National Review only ended up proving that if you apply enough tortured reasoning, almost any song could take on a conservative bent. Here are some fitting examples, I found back then, based on random selections from my iPod:

"Use It" by the New Pornographers Carl Newman issues a cri du coeur for the United States to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling in order to provide energy for the future by singing: "If you've got something that sheds some light, use it tonight!"

"Theme Song" by Too Much Joy
The central part of the chorus, "To create, you must destroy," marks this as one of the most stirring tributes to economist Joseph Alois Schumpeter and his principle of "creative destruction" ever penned. In case you're wondering what "creative destruction" is, that's the term the conservatives use to explain why even after you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps and worked with zeal and diligence all your life, you still aren't getting your pension.

"Killer Parties" by the Hold Steady
My friend Ramesh Ponnuru went to a Killer Party, once. And it was...THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY! BWAHAHAHHAHA!

"Barely Legal" by the Strokes
"I didn't take no shortcuts. I spent the money that I saved up." Awesome, dude. Let's go grab Ayn Rand and listen to Rush's 2112 again!

So you see, Heart faces a losing argument: with enough coats of pseudo-intellectual gloss, one can make the argument that "Barracuda" really is a roof-rattling paleocon anthem. This is why I think rock bands should simply write and record some crazily conservative songs for the GOP to use. I see no reason why a skilled band couldn't bang out a slamming track, titled "Drill Baby Drill" or something, that conservatives would go mad for while sending a simultaneous wink to their regular fanbase that they're actually taking the piss, as they say. If you have a band and would like to give it a try, send me an MP3, and we'll get Howard Wolfson to blog about it maybe!

Comments

[NCGigi]

Just look at the lyrics to "Barracuda": Palin/RNC are trying to tell us something:

"If the Real Thing Won't Do the Trick, You better think up something Quick!"

[livesimply]

I am related to a famous author. Twice a year I get royalty payments for use of any of his work that has not gone into public domain. The use of any of his material must be approved by the executor of the estate. For those living artists, are they not in charge of who can use their work?

[bish66]

This is a simple business transaction: Heart has an old song and if someone wants to play it on the radio, use it in a movie or take it as a campaign theme song, they have to be paid. As far as I have learned from the news, the GOP pays the royalties, so they have every damn right to play it backwards, forward, on double speed, any which way they like.

Heart can do with the royalties whatever THEY like: burn the money, buy stuff or throw it out of the window which in fact they did...

[Changeling]

If they want to use it, let them.

If the GOP wants to use a song that's about lying, greedy corporate scum who are we to argue?

[mbjesq]

Judging by the comments on the essay "McCain Doesn't Rock!" (http://memestreamblog.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/mccain-doesnt-rock/), most people are missing the point. The copyright issue is not the big deal; the significant legal aspect is the "implied endorsement" issue, under the Lanham Trademark Act, and the ultimate issue is not legal at all: why would McCain and Plain want the negative publicity that comes with using the music of artists who loathe them?

[bish66]

Oh come on! "Implied endorsement"? From Heart? Only last week, most people would have said "Heart is still alive? Knew them, oh, 20 years ago, maybe even longer!"

Checked them on Wikipedia, their last album from 2004 barely managed to sell 100.000 copies. We are not talking heavyweights here, we are talking has-beens here.

They make a fuss, because that brings them back into the media.

[sueno]

Heart Rocks!
Washington State stand up!

[Le nombril]

It's funny to watch rich elitists duking it out over the things that they think are important. It's too bad we don't have any real problems in America.

[blross]

If you had any ability to create something like a song that then gets published, becomes a long-time rock classic, and has copyrights which are there to protect the artist from unauthorized use of that work without permission or compensation, you might be pissed too. Sure, it's a perfect song for Sarah, but copyrights and artists should and must be respected. If it was a country song from one of your favorite artists (assuming you prefer a more heartland-style genre, a country vs. city style) that was being used by the Obama campaign without Reba's permission, let's say, I suppose you would therefor be all good with that? I'm thinking righteous indignation would be more likely.

Are all you people who boo every time Palin mentions pretty much any large Great American City like it was something you were disgusted and ashamed of really so hateful of many of the places and cultural uniqueness that people the world over appreciate about us and our America, as well as at least 200 million Americans love and live in with as much pride as your small town? I mean really, what the hell are our boys fighting for? If you think it's just for Jesus, maybe you need help.

This is all part of our American culture and you should just ignore the parts you don't like, as I do with the parts of your world I couldn't handle. Tolerance and forgiveness can be a beautiful thing.

[helonias]

Legally they would need the copyright owners written permission to use the song in any way shape or form even if its a few seconds long. It is a LAW, there is no gray area at ALL.

Shows you just what JM thinks of laws.

I hope they take them to court, ther is no way they can use and they will receive a large royalty since it was played for such a large audience.

[drblack]

The lyrics are apt. I especially think this line applies to Pinocchio Palin.

"If the real thing don't do the trick
You better make up something quick
You gonna burn burn burn burn it to the wick
Ooooooh, barracuda?"

With all her lies Palin sure isn't real at all. She would be a good leader in China or Iran. Palin would make a great dictator. Palin would have loved the Pol-Pot regime in Cambodia.

[SeriousBlack]

Hey, Kim Jong-Il in North Korea is supposed to be really ill. Perfect place for her step right into.

[GIZMOID]

Heart should record a new anti-Palin version for an Obama ad:

Sarah...the truth dont do the trick
I see you've made up something quick
You gonna lie lie lie til you make this country sick...
Ooooooohhhh, barra barracuda.

[Babysnake]

Great idea! Send it to Heart!

[TellMeEverything]

Not nice about Cameron .... beneath you. What's that got to do with anything else in this post.

[valleygent]

I find it disgusting that the RNC and McCain do not obey a cease and desist order from the artists, but isn't that just typical REPUBLICAN more of the same?? Senator Obama is right...more of the same McCain=Bush.

[helonias]

So much for McCain HONORING copyright LAWS

[obamanation31]

Oink Oink.

[marymansour]

I heard the two girls that comprise Heart state their reasons for not wanting McCain and his running mate to use their song. It made sense and I say a hearty bravo to all these musical groups that don't want their songs used by the dastardly GOP ticket.

[who38]

Thank you, Heart.