What better song to use at the RNC to introduce Sarah “Barracuda” Palin than the 1977 fem-rock hit that bears her nickname, right? Well, it turns out the band who made the song famous is ticked off at being associated with America’s most famous hockey mom, and they have demanded the GOP stop using the song.

It turns out, however, that if the venue that hosted the RNC (the Xcel Energy Center) has an ASCAP license (which is likely), Heart doesn’t have any legal recourse against the Republican Party. Yeah, I know; it seems cruel, but it’s true.

Of course, the GOP wouldn’t be able to use “Barracuda” in a campaign ad without Heart’s permission, but they can still get away with playing it at any event that takes place at a venue with an ASCAP license. (Though sure they’ll think twice before they do so again, now that Heart has made such a stink about it. And that may have been the whole point of the exercise.)

All this makes you think, doesn’t it? If you’re a musician, and you write a song that is closely associated with the brand of your public image, how much control do you really have over that image if the song can be used without your permission? (All right, yes, technically you gave permission when you signed with ASCAP in the first place, but still…)

Liberal or conservative, we can all agree on one thing: these women sure knew how to rock.