Hit Pat no more
The header among the tons of news headlines — that ‘80s pop icon Pat Benatar is no longer singing “Hit Me with your Best Shot” in concerts — was certainly clickbait for this guy of 53 summers, a member of the New Wave and Punk Rock crowd who once rocked, danced and sang with it at the disco.
At the top of my tmind why she cut the song from her repertoire was that Benatar is pushing 70 already, and “Hit me…,” as a girl’s devil-may-care dare to a jaded breaker of little hearts to “fire away,” may already be age-inappropriate. Maybe not.
If the Rolling Stones’ Mick can still “Move like Jagger” and stir concert-goers into a frenzy before the pandemic hit, then certainly Benatar cannot just discard one of the songs unmistakably stamped with the Benatar groove. Not in concerts, especially, with fans wanting to squeeze every thrill from the tickets they just squandered a week’s pay for.
Written by Eddie Schwartz, “Hit me…” was Benatar’s first Top 10 hit on the Billboard 100 chart, the gem from her second album Crimes of Passion released in 1980. That song would make Benatar a household name in the MTV-crazy era, the precursor for her other Billboard chart toppers like “Love is a Battlefield” and “We Belong.”
So why has Benatar put “Hit me…” on the backburner? The news coming out of New York, through a USA Today interview, is that Benatar is doing so out of respect for the victims of gun violence in America.
As she is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November, in the company of rapper Eminem, country icon Dolly Parton, ‘80s boy band Duran Duran, balladeer Lionel Richie, Eurythmics and Carly “You’re so Vain” Simon, Benatar’s message seems to be showing sensitivity on issues the world is trying hard to grapple with.
In America, that issue would be gun violence with 350 mass shooting incidents across the country since the start of the year, according to a report by wire agency Reuters, citing the Gun Violence Archive. As defined by the organization, a mass shooting is an incident whereby four or more people are either killed or wounded in a single event, with the body count not including the shooter.
In that interview, Benatar expressed the view that the meaning of the lyrics of the song has changed. “(The title) is tongue-in-cheek, but you have to draw the line. I can’t say those words out loud with a smile on my face, I just can’t,” she said.
“I’m not going to go on stage and soapbox - I go to my legislators — but that’s my small contribution to protesting. I’m not going to sing it,” Benatar added as an advance notice to her fans not to expect her to belt “Hit me…” when she tours anew in September.
No doubt Benatar’s avid followers would not be happy and may argue that there’s nothing in the song — both the title and lyrics — that promote gun or any kind of violence. For that, we have enough rap songs that glorify violence catering to those so predisposed.
The opening lines of “Hit me…” should lay to rest any notion that the song’s meaning has taken on a darker meaning: “Well, you’re the real tough cookie with a long history… of breaking little hearts like the one in me. That’s okay, let’s see how you do it. Put up your dukes, let’s get down to it.”
Harmless, playful dare in the battlefield of love? I think so. By September, Benatar could change her mind or maybe not. Maybe she’d tell those who’ll egg her to sing “Hit Me…,” “Read my lips: M-a-k-e me!”
“In that interview, Benatar expressed the view that the meaning of the lyrics of the song has changed.
“Benatar’s message seems to be showing sensitivity on issues the world is trying hard to grapple with.