Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson says it’s 'more embarrassing’ to be an American now than during the Vietnam War
Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson says it's "more embarrassing" to be an American now than during the Vietnam War.
Wilson, 71, made the remark in a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where she reflected on the legendary rock group's 1975 hit "Crazy on You," which was her sister, Heart vocalist Ann Wilson's critique of the Vietnam War.
"We were kind of embarrassed at that time to call ourselves American because of the dirty politics of the Vietnam War," Wilson shared.
"To be as subtle as possible, it’s more embarrassing now," she said.
She made the case that the songs fit for the tumultuous political climate of the time still resonate today.
One of the band's most popular hits, "Barracuda," for instance, "took aim at "a real sleazeball with a satin jacket" who, at the time the song was written in the 1970s, "wanted to make more money out of" the women in the band, the article reads.
Wilson suggested the track's commentary on sexism and oppression wasn't specific to its day and the issue persists nearly 50 years later.
"[It's] even more relevant in the salacious billionaire culture with the grab-them-by-the-(expletive) mentality," she said, referencing a controversial 2005 remark by President Donald Trump that The Washington Post published before the 2016 election.
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The Wilson sisters have been no fans of Trump for some time, however.
Ann, 74, told The Hill in 2018 that anyone but Trump could use "Barracuda" on the campaign trail, telling the outlet she "definitely wouldn't" vote for him in the 2020 race, but would have to "do some research" and "think about" who her pick would be instead.
She supported Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in the 2016 race, the outlet reported.
Late Republican Sen. John McCain, who challenged former President Barack Obama for the White House in 2008, got ire from Nancy Wilson for continuing to use "Barracuda" as a theme for his running mate, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, on the campaign trail despite being asked to stop.
According to The Hill, she told EW.com at the time, "I think it’s completely unfair to be so misrepresented. I feel completely f—ed over."
Though Nancy sees many of the societal issues of the 1970s in today's world, she told the Journal Sentinel she predicts change will come with time.
"I think for women in the culture the pendulum will come back again, and there'll be another renaissance in the arts to push back against the oppression of the cranky old rich White guys," she said.
"I hope I am alive to see that next revolution," she added.