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Sen. John McCain’s use of the Heart poetry “Barracuda” on the model of his acceptance tongue Thursday night is causing heartburn with the Seattle-based rock group.

Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson posted a message Friday on their Web site condemning the use of their 1977 hit at the Republican convention. The song was played while McCain, the party’s presidential nominee, was joined onstage after the speech by his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The sisters were initially irritated about the song was first played while Palin spoke at the convention Wednesday, according to the Web site EW.com.

The Wilsons reported their representatives, Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG, be in possession of sent a cease-and-desist communication to the McCain-Palin campaign to not use the song at the same time that the congratulatory theme for Palin.

Palin reportedly earned the nickname “Sarah Barracuda” as a high-school basketball player in Alaska.

Republican officials didn’t question for permission to use the poetry and would not have been given the OK if they had done with equal reason, the Wilsons said.

In a statement well-informed Friday on the EW.com place, the Wilsons wrote:

“Sarah Palin’s views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song ‘Barracuda’ no longer be used to promote her image. The song ‘Barracuda’ was written in the late ’70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate god of the music business, particularly for women. (The ‘barracuda’ represented the craft.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there’s irony in Republican strategists’ choice to make use of it in that place.”

Steve Miletich: 206-464-3302 or smiletich@seattletimes.com