Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Before my high school creative writing teacher introduced me to Gerard Manly Hopkins, before I had taken my college courses in Shakespeare and Medieval Literature, before I began listening to audio versions of Dickens’ work on my long drives down to Seattle, I was introduced to the great female rocker, Pat Benatar, performing the nuanced poetry of song-writer Eddie Schwartz. In the eight grade, I bought Benatar’s 8-track tape called Crimes of Passion and played it on my stereo repeatedly while I slept at night. It seeped into my subconscious and rattled in my head during my days, even while I was at school.

It wouldn’t be long until Crimes of Passion would disappear with all my other rock albums in the crusade my church led to free its young people of the evils of secular music, but it was really too late; the devil had his foothold. I’d memorized the words to every song on that 8-track. They were a part of me. I could throw the short-lived technology into the garbage bin, but I couldn’t extract the lyrics of Benatar’s hits from my personal cannon of literature.

A few weeks ago, in a fit of boredom with my current catalog of running songs, I perused I-Tunes and came across Benatar’s #1 single: Hit Me With Your Best Shot. I downloaded the song onto my iPod and reclaimed one more memory discarded in the name of heaven.

Yesterday, I ran 21.5 miles – the last long run in my training for the Tateyama Marathon. It was one of the most difficult training runs of my life. The trails were still packed down with compact snow and ice, requiring me (or anyone else on the trail) to slow to a careful walk on some stretches. The temperature was in the low forties, but along the waterfront, the wind whipped me in the face and made the air feel closer to freezing. Plus, I must have eaten something the night before that didn’t settle well, because I struggled with a headache and an upset stomach for much of the run.

Just as I was feeling like the elements and this run were really kicking my ass, Hit Me with Your Best Shot blared through my ear buds. I cranked up the volume, listened to the words and sang along, then repeated the song a second time. “Yes,” I thought, inspired by Benatar’s sultry reminder of pre-adolescent rebellion and freedom, “the weather and my body are trying to keep me down, but I won’t be defeated! I WILL conquer these four hours of running! I WILL run through my pain! I WILL keep my balance on this ice! I WILL have French fries when this whole thing is over!” And I ran on, revived and encouraged enough to beat the icy hill I was facing. I sucked up the hurt in my stomach and the snot running out of my nose and I ran. I completed my 21.5 miles a little worse for wear, but alive. Still standing.

The devil may have the best music, but I couldn’t have gotten through yesterday’s run without it. I dedicate this song to long-distance running and to the Marathon. Go ahead, Marathon, hit me with your best shot. I’ll get right back up again. And in a little more than two weeks in Japan, I’ll be putting another notch in my lipstick case!


Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Written by Eddie Schwartz and performed by Pat Benatar

Well you're a real tough cookie with a long history
Of breaking little hearts, like the one in me
That's O.K., lets see how you do it
Put up your dukes, let's get down to it!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Why Don't You Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Fire Away!

You come on with your come-ons, you don't fight fair
That's O.K., see if I care!
Knock me down, it's all in vain
I'll get right back on my feet again!

Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Why Don't You Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Fire Away!

Well you're a real tough cookie with a long history
Of breaking little hearts, like one in me
Before I put another notch in my lipstick case
You better make sure you put me in my place

Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Come On, Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Fire Away!

Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Why Don't You Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Hit Me With Your Best Shot!
Fire Away!