Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)

"Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" is a song on Warren Zevon's 2002 album, My Ride's Here. It was written by Zevon and Mitch Albom. The repeated line of "hit somebody!" is said by long time friend of Zevon and television host David Letterman. It is one of Zevon's longest songs.

About the Song

The song is a parody of violence in ice hockey. The song is about a Canadian farm boy named Buddy, who started playing hockey at age nine and has a deep love for the game. However, he wasn't any good at the sport. What he was good at was hurting people on the other team. This lead him to be the team's "goon" on all the youth hockey teams he played on, until he got the attention of a scout from the Calgary Flames. Buddy spends his entire lengthy professional career as hockey's greatest goon (with a penalty box throne), but grows to long to actually play the sport. He only wishes to score just one goal. Then on his final night he finally gets his chance and narrowly succeeds, but gets knocked out by a Finnish player in the process. Buddy doesn't care though since he sees the flashing red goal light before he loses consciousness.

Film Adaption

Work on a film adaption of the song has been announced by director Kevin Smith. The film is supposedly to be set in the 1970's, before teams left the World Hockey Association in favour the National Hockey League in 1979. The director further elaborated that “It takes place during the last gasp of the goon era of hockey, When it was all about fighting.”

Lyrics

Note: the text of this song's lyrics is not under the same copyright license as the wiki's encyclopedic text, it is used under fair use/dealing.

He was born in Big Beaver by the borderline

He started playing hockey by the time he was nine

His dad took the hose and froze the back yard

And little Buddy dreamed he was Rocket Richard

He grew up big and he grew up tough

He saw himself scoring for the Wings or Canucks

But he wasn't that good with a puck

Buddy's real talent was beating people up

His heart wasn't in it but the crowd ate it up

Through pee-wee's and juniors, midgets and mites

He must have racked up more than six hundred fights

A scout from the flames came down from Saskatoon

Said, "There's always room on our team for a goon

Son, we've always got room for a goon"

There were Swedes to the left of him

Russians to the right

A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight

Brains over brawn--that might work for you

But what's a Canadian farm boy to do?

Hit somebody!

What else can a farm boy from Canada to do?

Hit somebody!

But what's a Canadian farm boy to do?

Hit somebody!

What else can a farm boy from Canada to do?

Hit somebody! was what the crowd roared

When Buddy the goon came over the boards

"Coach," he'd say, "I wanna score goals"

The coach said, "Buddy, remember your role

The fast guys get paid, they shoot, they score

Protect them, Buddy, that's what you're here for

Protection is what you're here for

Protection--it's the stars that score

Protection--kick somebody's ass

Protection--don't put the biscuit in the basket just

Hit somebody! it rang in his ears

Blood on the ice ran down through the years

The king of the goons with a box for a throne

A thousand stitches and broken bones

He never lost a fight on his icy patrol

But deep inside, Buddy only dreamed of a goal

He just wanted one damn goal

There were Swedes at the the blue line

Finns at the red

A Russian with a stick heading straight for his head

Brains over brawn--that might work for you

But what's a Canadian farm boy to do?

Hit somebody!

What else can a farm boy from Canada to do?

Hit somebody!

But what's a Canadian farm boy to do?

Hit somebody!

What else can a farm boy from Canada to do?

In his final season, on his final night

Buddy and a Finn goon were pegged for a fight

Thirty seconds left, the puck took a roll

And suddenly Buddy had a shot on goal

The goalie committed, Buddy picked his spot

Twenty years of waiting went into that shot

The fans jumped up, the Finn jumped too

And coldcocked Buddy on his follow through

The big man crumbled but he felt all right

'Cause the last thing he saw

was the flashing red light

He saw that heavenly light

There were Swedes to the left of him

Russians to the right

A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight

Take care of your teeth--that might work for you

But what's a Canadian farm boy to do?

What else can a farm boy from Canada to do?

Hit somebody!

But what's a Canadian farm boy to do?

Hit somebody!

What else can a farm boy from Canada to do?

See Also

• My Ride's Here

External Links

• News of the film adaption from the Rolling Stone
• News of the film adaption from MTV
• Analysis of the song