Heart - Barracuda

Barracuda is a song by American rock band Heart from their third studio album, Little Queen (1977), and was released as the album's lead single.

Writer/s:  Ann Wilson, Roger Fisher, Nancy Wilson and Michael Derosier
Producer:  Mike Flicker
Label:  Portrait

SOME INTERESTING FACTS

Ann and Nancy Wilson have talked a lot, over the years, about how the song was originally inspired by the band's anger towards an advert by Mushroom Records, promoting the new album ‘Little Queen’, implying that Ann and Nancy were lesbians having an affair. The lyrics of the song focus on Ann's rage towards a promoter who approached her after a concert in Detroit and asked how her "lover" was, whom she initially thought was her then-boyfriend - band member Michael Fisher. But the promoter revealed that he was actually talking about her sister Nancy Wilson. Fuelled with anger, back in her hotel room, Ann wrote the lyrics to the song. Nancy added the matching angry music to Ann’s words to complete the song, comparing the sleazy nature of the music industry to the dangerous barracuda fish.

This song can be heard in the movies Wag the Dog (1997), Charlie's Angles (2000), Roll Bounce (2005), You Again (2010), The Campaign (2012) and Identity Thief (2013).

TV series to feature the song include The Sopranos, Chuck and My Name Is Earl. It was also used in a 2009 episode of Glee where it was performed by Lea Michele and Adam Lambert.

SONG LYRICS

[Verse 1]

So this ain't the end, I saw you again today
I had to turn my heart away
Smile like the sun, kisses for everyone
And tales, it never fails

[Chorus]

You lying so low in the weeds
I bet you gonna ambush me
You'd have me down, down, down, down on my knees
Now wouldn't you, Barracuda? Oh
 

[Instrumental Bridge]

[Verse 2]

Back over time, we were all trying for free
You met the porpoise and me, uh-huh
No right, no wrong, selling a song, a name
Whisper game
 

[Chorus]

And if the real thing don't do the trick
You better make up something quick
You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn to the wick
Ooh, Barracuda, oh, yeah
 

[Bridge]

"Sell me, sell you," the porpoise said
Dive down deep now to save my head
You, I think that you got the blues, too
All that night and all the next
Swam without looking back
Made for the western pools, silly, silly fools
 

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus]

The real thing don't do the trick, no
You better make up something quick
You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn it to the wick
Oh, Barra-Barracuda, yeah

 

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