Foo Fighters blast McCain use of "My Hero"

Dave Grohl leads the Foo Fighters as they perform ''The Pretender'' at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in this file photo from February 10, 2008.

NEW YORK (Billboard) - The Foo Fighters have blasted the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain for using the band's song "My Hero" at rallies without its permission.

Previously, Jackson Browne filed suit against the McCain campaign for using his song "Running on Empty" without consent.

"It's frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property," the band said in a statement. "The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."

The rock group Heart was also dismayed at the use of its song "Barracuda" for events featuring McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, and co-writer Roger Fisher has said he will give a portion of his royalty income to the Democrats.

Reuters/Billboard