Why Heart’s Nancy Wilson Says It’s “More Embarrassing” to Be an American Now Than During Vietnam War

Carly Thomas

Thu, March 27, 2025 at 2:03 PM UTC

2 min read

Nancy Wilson of Heart believes it is more embarrassing to be an American now than during the Vietnam War due to the current political climate under the Trump administration.
Wilson stated that the messages behind Heart's '70s songs, such as "Crazy on You" and "Barracuda," are still relevant today, with the latter being particularly poignant in reference to President Trump's controversial comments about women.
The musician expressed hope for a cultural renaissance to push back against sexism and oppression, emphasizing that the impact of their songs will endure long after they are gone.

Nancy Wilson, guitarist and singer for the rock band Heart, is sharing why she thinks it's "more embarrassing" to be an American now than during the Vietnam War.

During an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this month, Wilson got candid about the current stormy political climate under the Trump administration, noting that the messages behind several of the band's '70s songs still ring true today.

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As an example, she said the lyrics in Heart's 1975 song "Crazy on You," which was lead vocalist Ann Wilson's critical response to the Vietnam War, are actually more relevant now. "We were kind of embarrassed at that time to call ourselves American because of the dirty politics of the Vietnam War," she admitted. "To be as subtle as possible, it's more embarrassing now."

Wilson added that their 1977 track "Barracuda" is "even more relevant in the salacious billionaire culture with the grab-them-by-the-(expletive) mentality," referencing President Donald Trump's controversial comment about women in 2005 that The Washington Post published ahead of the 2016 election.

"These songs will be there long after we are gone," the musician said.

When asked for her take on the sexism mentioned in "Barracuda" still being prevalent in today's society, Wilson responded, "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. I hope I am alive to see that next revolution."

Sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson have been critical of Trump for a while, telling The Hill in 2018 that "anybody but Trump" could use their song "Barracuda" during their campaigns for the 2020 presidential election. At the time, Ann also noted that she "definitely wouldn't" vote for Trump.

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