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"Barracuda"
Single by Heart from the album Little Queen
B-side	"Cry to Me"
Released	1977
Format	7" single
Recorded	1977
Genre	Hard Rock
Label	Portrait Records
Writer	Ann Wilson Nancy Wilson Michael DeRosier Sue Ennis Roger Fisher
Producer	Mike Flicker
Heart singles chronology
"Dreamboat Annie" (1976) "Barracuda" (1977) "Little Queen" (1977)

"Barracuda" is a song written and recorded by the rock band Heart. It was released as the first single from the band's second album Little Queen (1977).

The song is an aggressive rock and roll number which immediately drew comparisons to Led Zeppelin's Achilles Last Stand, particularly with the steady driving bass riff and Ann Wilson's vocal delivery on the chorus: "...you're gonna burn, burn, burn into the wick...".

The song has a flamenco style chord progression E F# G. Normally flamenco is a E F G Am. Note also the repetitive rhythm of the E chord, also a fairly common flamenco style rhythm. Another interesting point about this tune is the use of natural harmonics, particularly in the intro where the harmonics are bent using the "whammy bar" (tremolo system) of the guitar.

Upon its release "Barracuda" became Heart's second top-twenty hit in the U.S., peaking at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has become one of the band's signature tunes and is still a staple on American classic rock radio playlists.

Ann Wilson revealed in interviews that the song was about Heart's anger towards Mushroom Records attempted publicity stunt involving sisters Ann and Nancy and a made up lesbian affair. The song particularly focuses on Ann's rage towards a fan who came up to her after a concert asking how her "lover" was. She initially thought he was talking about her then boyfriend band member Michael Fisher. After he revealed he was talking about her sister Nancy Wilson, Ann became angry and went back to her hotel room to write the song.^{[citation needed]}

• "Barracuda" is featured in the 2000 movie Charlie's Angels.
• Many cast members mimed the song in an episode of the WB series Popular.
• "Barracuda" can be heard playing on Silvio Dante's car radio in the 2004 episode "Long Term Parking" on the HBO series The Sopranos.
• "Barracuda" is sung by the members of the Reno Sheriff's Police Department in the Comedy Central show Reno 911.
• The band Fall Silent covered "Barracuda" on their album Drunken Violence.
• "Barracuda" is featured in the 2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game on the K-DST radio station.
• A cover of "Barracuda" is featured on Rasputina's 2005 live album "A Radical Recital". Rasputina has played the song on tours and while opening for Primus.
• "Barracuda" is played at the bar on the alien spaceship in the 2006 video game Prey.
• "Barracuda" has also been covered by Fergie for the soundtrack of the 2007 animated film Shrek the Third. It was released as a promo for the film.
• Alice in Chains covered this song with Gretchen Wilson at the 2007 VH1 Rock Honors.
• A cover of "Barracuda" is on the tracklist of the 2007 video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.
• Heart performed "Barracuda" with Anastacia on "Frosted Pink"^[1], an Entertainment show in aid of Breast Cancer, in October 2007.

Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell stated that this is his favorite song by Heart.^{[citation needed]}