Heart - Barracuda - Lyrics Meaning

Barracuda appears on the 1977 Heart album "Little Queen"

In 1977, the band's record label, Mushroom Records, ran suggestive picture in Rolling Stone with a caption that insinuated that the sisters were lesbian lovers. This led to plenty of tabloid gossip about the sisters. A reporter asked Ann how her lover was and she replied that he was fine. He told her that he meant her lesbian sister. She blew up at the reporter and wrote Barracuda right after the incident.

The Barracuda in the story is the record label. The song is not just about that isolated incident, but about the whole record industry. The band was unhappy with the way Heart was being marketed.

In the first verse, the tales are most likely the tabloid reports, smiled like the sun refers to how the business people can be so deceptive and fake. The chorus suggests that the barracuda, or record company, is getting ready to attack as soon as she's not ready for it. The problem here is that she's at the mercy of the record company.

The line "No right, no wrong, selling a song" refers to the company's goal of selling the music and disregard for doing what is right.