Pat Benatar‘s signature song is no doubt “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.” The 1980 release was written by Eddie Schwartz, but it’s Benatar that gives this song its kick. Uncover the meaning behind this hit and the reason Benatar refuses to play it live, below.
[RELATED: 4 Epic Story-Videos from the ‘80s That Had Absolutely Nothing to Do with the Song]
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Behind the 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 you dukes, let’s get down to it
Benatar isn’t afraid of heartbreak in this song. She gets involved with a guy who has a history of breaking hearts. Instead of shying away, she throws up her hands and gets ready to defend herself. It’s, at its core, a strong message of female empowerment. There are many songs about relationships going awry, leaving a girl all alone to cry about it. Benatar and Schwartz flip the script with this track.
Hit me with your best shot
Why don’t you hit me with your best shot
Hit me with your best shot
Fire away
Benatar encourages her player of a man to try his best to break her heart–she’s prepared to take it. The chorus remains one of the most recognizable refrains from the era. It’s instantly catchy, but it also concisely conveys the song’s message.
The song is relatively simple, but it clearly packed enough of a punch to hold up decades after its initial release. Despite the song’s success, Benatar has announced that she will not play the song live anymore, due to the ongoing mass shooting crisis in the U.S.
“Fans are having a heart attack and I’m like, I’m sorry, in deference to the victims of the families of these mass shootings, I’m not singing it,” Benatar said. “I tell them, if you want to hear the song, go home and listen to it. [The title] is tongue-in-cheek, but you have to draw the line.”
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
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