Zevon Song of the Week #7
haro...@yahoo.ca
Category: Sports
Today's offering is in honour of all the team sports taking place right
now, the most prominent of which are the NBA (Dallas is cruising) and
NHL finals (go Oilers!) and the World Cup of futbol.
Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllll!!!
Hit Somebody!, co-written with Mitch Albom, is an unusual Zevon
offering for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it
contains not one but two instances of rarely used special symbols in
the title. (The only other instance that comes to mind is the comma in
LG&M).
The song was released on a short-play CD well before its appearance on
My Ride's Here. The "B side" was, inexplicably, For My Next Trick I'll
Need A Volunteer, which had already made its debut on LKY the year
before.
In early 2001, Warren appeared as a guest on Albom's radio show, which
for a time was simulcast on MSNBC (it's track 20 on DVD 3). They
discussed the song and their hope that it would develop into a an
unofficial anthem for the NHL (AFAIK that never happened). Another
guest that day was charismatic NHLer Brendan Shanahan, who opined that
Hit Somebody! was the first hockey song ever composed (there are many
others, including The Pursuit of Happiness's "(Boy Oh Boy) Wayne
Gretzky Rocks", Bob Davies's "Gordie Howe Is the Greatest of Them All",
and Stompin' Tom Connors' "The Hockey Song" (aka "The Good Old Hockey
Game", which actually IS played over the public address system at many
NHL arenas. A list can be found at
http://ilx.wh3rd.net/thread.php?msgid=4669003.)
On that show, there appeared to be more than a little tension between
the co-writers. Albom seemed to grab credit for writing the entire
lyric, while Warren protested that he himself had come up with a few of
the song's constructs, including the location of Buddy the Goon's home
town, Big Beaver, Saskatchewan. Regardless, Albom, a Detroit resident
(Detroit being one of the original six hockey cities) and sports
journalist, was much better schooled in hockey than Warren and
therefore a good choice to pen the lyrics.
The song's hero is a hockey enforcer named Buddy. An enforcer is a big
man, usually with minimal skills, whose role is to physically punish
any opposing player who takes a cheap shot at one of the team's stars.
The classic example was Dave Semenko, who protected Wayne Gretzky
during the incredible Oiler run of four Stanley Cups in five years in
the '80s.
Unofrtunately, the goon role has an extreme downside, as witnessed by
Vancouver Canuck Todd Bertuzzi's cheap shot takedown of Steve Moore two
years ago that effectively ended Moore's career.
In Hit Somebody!, Buddy has participated in hundreds of fights, but
dearly wants to score one goal before his career is over. One of the
song's most effective segments is the so-called "protection bridge", in
which Warren sings about Buddy's role as a goon - "Protection, that's
what you're here for .... It's the stars who score", followed by "Don't
put the biscuit in the basket, just hit somebody!".
The song has a happy ending, with Buddy scoring in his final game. For
the record, the "heavenly light" refers to the light behind the net
that is turned on by an official when a goal is scored, and most
definitely does NOT mean that Buddy dies after being cold-cocked
(sucker punched) by the Finn enforcer (generally considered an oxymoron
by most hockey aficionados).
In the studio, Warren decided to repay the fairly large debt he felt he
had incurred to David Letterman and Paul Shaffer by including them in
the song (son Jordan provided backing vocals). Shaffer was a natural on
organ, but, loyalty aside, it's my opinion that Letterman's "Hit
somebody!" exhortations practically bring the song to its knees. The
man is tone deaf, in fact possesses no musical sense whatever, and it's
also probable that the Indiana native has attended few if any hockey
games. A much better performance was given by Paul himself when Warren
performed the song on The Late Show in April, 2001. Even better than
that were Warren's performances in concert in which he got the crowd to
belt out the "Hit somebody!"s, an example of which I included on the
DVD 6 overdub of the song from a Phialdelphia gig in December of 2000.
A couple of trivia items from the Late Show appearance: (1) Jordan
played along with Warren, although he was not officially credited by
Dave. When Warren sings "Son, we've always got room for a goon", he
looks directly at Jordan, presumably because he thinks of him as a son
rather than a goon. (2) Warren phomphs (forgets, then substitutes
nonsense) the lyrics a couple of times. On one of the occasions, he's
rescued by Jordan, who steps up heroically regarding "Swedes to the
left and Russians to the right", or vice versa.
To sum up, Hit Somebody! is an enjoyable sports song, more rousing in
concert than the marred-by-Letterman album version. It's not my
favourite hockey tune (my choice would be Gretzky Rocks), but it's
right up there. I don't know if it happened, but I like to think that
Warren managed to attend a Kings game or two during the time Gretzky
played in L.A. after Edmonton owner Pocklington traded him away, and
raised the sport to its highest level ever in American consciousness
(the strike last year completely negated that progress). Perhaps Warren
and Wayne even exchanged greetings once or twice - they would have made
a wonderfully dynamic duo.
Categories to date
--------------------------
Love-Gone-Wrong: 1
Mortality: 1
Satire: 2
Social Commentary: 2
Sports: 1
Lucy
>> The song has a happy ending, with Buddy scoring in his final game. For
> the record, the "heavenly light" refers to the light behind the net
> that is turned on by an official when a goal is scored, and most
> definitely does NOT mean that Buddy dies after being cold-cocked
> (sucker punched) by the Finn enforcer (generally considered an oxymoron
> by most hockey aficionados).
>
I never thought Buddy died at the end, but after the
discussion on the BB, I realize it really is open to that
interpretation, if you have that inclination. Some take it
literally, "The LAST THING he saw was the flashing red light
- he saw that HEAVENLY light."
<shrug>
-- Lucy, opting for the happy ending
haro...@yahoo.ca
>
> I never thought Buddy died at the end, but after the
> discussion on the BB, I realize it really is open to that
> interpretation, if you have that inclination. Some take it
> literally, "The LAST THING he saw was the flashing red light
> - he saw that HEAVENLY light."
>
It's open to that interpretation if you have no familiarity with the
sport, which I suppose is true for most Americans.
It's a heavenly light because Buddy wants so badly to score a goal.
It's the last thing he sees because the Finn cold-cocks him and he's
heading down towards the ice after his score.
Hockey is a violent sport, which is a large part of its appeal to fans.
There has only been a single death in NHL history, Bill Masterton in
1968, who died the day after hitting his unprotected head on the ice.
With the advent of protective gear, principally helmets, players are
much safer today. The current Oilers coach, Craig McTavish, was the
last NHLer to play without a helmet, allowed to do so because he began
his career before their use became mandatory, and he retired in 1997.
Gretzky played his entire career with a helmet, including the season he
was 10 years old and scored the ridiculous amount of 378 goals in a
kid's league.
McTavish took the "Hit somebody!" dictum too literally, with tragic
results. In 1984, he struck and killed a young woman while driving
under the influence of alcohol. MacTavish spent a year in jail as
punishment for this offense. After his release, he was signed by the
Oilers, and played with Gretzky on three Stanley Cup winning teams, and
was also team captain from 1992-1994.
Valerie Brock
song starts:
He was born in Big Beaver...
Birth to Death - it's the story of his life.
And I'd use caution before stating that any song Definitely is about x or y.
And extreme caution before stating that any song Most Definitely is about x
or y.
<haro...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:1150109015.8...@h76g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Phantom Engineer
Bob Gray
> All good stories (songs) end in death.
Don't tell Woody Guthrie. Pretty Boy Floyd? Tom Joad?
Wait... you can't tell Woody... he's dead...
Howard Roseman
the
> song starts:
> He was born in Big Beaver...
> Birth to Death - it's the story of his life.
>
Wow, the "Buddy dies" faction is out there and resolute about it!
But I continue to disagree. He was born in Big Beaver is background info on
"Canadian farm boy", nothing more. I think Warren was intrigued by life in a
small town on the open plain, and overrode whatever birth place Mitch
originally came up with.
And it's not the story of his life, it's the story of his goal, which took a
long time but not as much time as his life. Buddy's now doing what all
retired hockey players do, playing golf and drinking.
> And I'd use caution before stating that any song Definitely is about x or
y.
> And extreme caution before stating that any song Most Definitely is about
x
> or y.
That's rather cryptic. Are you referring to my categories or song
descriptions? I Most Definitely am unsure of what you mean.
Raoul
> the co-writers. Albom seemed to grab credit for writing the entire
> lyric, while Warren protested that he himself had come up with a few of
> the song's constructs, including the location of Buddy the Goon's home
> town, Big Beaver, Saskatchewan. Regardless, Albom, a Detroit resident
> (Detroit being one of the original six hockey cities) and sports
> journalist, was much better schooled in hockey than Warren and
> therefore a good choice to pen the lyrics.
Add another reason to my list of Why I Hate Mitch Albom.
aloha
LD
Howard Roseman
> Add another reason to my list of Why I Hate Mitch Albom.
>
Then you'll love this (Hit Somebody! reference in the first paragraph).
http://www.ocweekly.com/culture/theater/alboms-wonderful-life/25276/
Howard Roseman
> > And I'd use caution before stating that any song Definitely is about x
or
> y.
> > And extreme caution before stating that any song Most Definitely is
about
> x
> > or y.
>
OK, brain freeze, I see what you were referring to.
What can I tell you, Valerie, I'm just not that cautious, let alone
extremely so.
Here's another angle as to why I'm sure Buddy survives the Finn's hit. Mitch
Albom would not have his song's hero die on the ice. Buddy would have to
come down with some horrible wasting disease and have Mitch visit him
several times before finally succumbing. Then he could ascend upward and
meet five of his teammates in Heaven. And we all know that Heaven always has
room for a goon.
Raoul
Thanks for yet another reason to hate Albom.
aloha
LD
Lucy
> And we all know that Heaven always has
> room for a goon.
But hell is only half-full. Lotsa room there. Hey! I got
an idea! Why doesn't Mitch Albom go to hell?!??
-- Lucy
Jay Furr
@i40g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:
> Today's offering is in honour of all the team sports taking place right
> now, the most prominent of which are the NBA (Dallas is cruising) and
> NHL finals (go Oilers!) and the World Cup of futbol.
> Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllll!!!
Can't help it: Go, Canes!
--
"It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are 20 gods, or no god.
It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." -- Thomas Jefferson
"There's hits in chicken." -- Wade Boggs
Howard Roseman
>
I was out tonight, but I see the Canes are up 3-1 and heading home. I hate
to say it's over, but it's over.
Jay Furr
news:YLrjg.14381$iF6.2682@pd7tw2no:
>> Can't help it: Go, Canes!
>>
>
> I was out tonight, but I see the Canes are up 3-1 and heading home. I
> hate to say it's over, but it's over.
I'm sorry for the Edmontonians -- it's depressing to see a team from such a
hockey-poor part of the world beating you at your own game, but it *will*
help Southern hockey, incrementally, if the 'Canes win, and in any case,
the 'Canes are mostly Canadians anyway. They're playing good solid hockey
and have been amazing against the power play and losing to them is nothing
to be ashamed of.
Eric Furniss
"Jay Furr" <jfurr-...@nospam-furrs.org> wrote in message
news:Xns97E17CF7586...@216.168.3.44...
I knew the Oilers were done when their goalie tore up his knee in game one.
I love hockey and I appreciate what the Canes have done on the ice this
season. They deserve the cup...however they will always be the Hartford
Whalers to me.
Eric
Ken P.
You forgot to mention that Hit Somebody is the "Roland" of sports songs.
~ KenP
Howard Roseman
songs.
>
> ~ KenP
>
You mean as in "Take his head off!"?
Oilers win in O.T. - my pronouncement of their demise may have been
premature.
Joanne Corsano
attended on the 1st and 3rd of December, 2000. One was at the
Paradise in Boston and the second was at Pearl Street in Northampton,
Mass. Warren made a remark that the song included a sing-along and
that this was a technique that had worked for him in the past. I
never quite figured out what he meant by that; other than shouting the
word "perfect" on the line "and his hair was perfect," were there
traditional singalongs at Zevon live shows? During the flurry of
shows I saw during 1999 and 2000 I didn't notice a lot of singing
along; in fact, I was surprised at those shows at the relative lack of
howling on you-know-which-song.
Anyway, the "Hit Somebody" singalong was completely brilliant and a
concert going moment I will always remember happily. Steve, the
roadie, had the job of prompting us on the "HIT SOMEBODY!" line, which
we caught on to quickly. Boston is a hockey town, and the crowd was
quite enthusiastic that night -- less so at the next gig, in the
less-sports-obsessed college town of Northampton. When I think of
that song I visualize it with a slightly inebriated hockey (or music)
attending crowd shouting the line with enthusiasm. When I first heard
the recorded version, I was extremely disappointed in the anemic
single voice (Letterman's) doing that part. The song *needs* the
crowd sound, the crowd voice, a hundred, or more, wildly enthused fans
shouting it out at the top of their lungs. If I listen to the song
nowadays, I hear the sound of that crowd in my imagination.
The second time I heard the song live, at Northampton, Steve the
roadie looked about and recognized at least three of us from the
Boston show (including my Zevon buddie Claire, who I don't think hangs
around this newsgroup, but maybe she lurks), and he gestured toward us
to help him out since we already knew what to do.
It's an interesting process when one hears a song live first before
hearing the recorded version -- sometimes it's impossible to ever get
used to the recording, and the live version remains the definitive
one, and that's the case for me with this song.
Joanne
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Peter Huish
> It's an interesting process when one hears a song live first before
> hearing the recorded version -- sometimes it's impossible to ever get
> used to the recording, and the live version remains the definitive
> one, and that's the case for me with this song.
Very true. Life'll Kill Ya contains a lot of songs on it that I bound
to as live recordings and these versions are the definitive versions for
me.
Plus some songs were really just meant for a live scenario rather than
the studio.
Howard Roseman
> crowd sound, the crowd voice, a hundred, or more, wildly enthused fans
> shouting it out at the top of their lungs.
It certainly benefits from that, a lot. But I think Paul Shaffer did as good
a job as possible on his own. He's a Canuck who revels in the shouting and
that night on The Late Show he knew what the song needed. The crowd sure
wasn't into it - some of the shots showed them sitting there in a
near-catatonic state.
I've noticed on the Letterman newsgroup that some posters slam Paul for his
extroverted ways, not realizing perhaps that it's mostly schtick, a kind-of
goofy Ed McMahon impersonation, and that he wouldn't be doing it if Dave
didn't want him to. These are probably the same posters who criticized
Warren for being too introverted when he subbed for Paul. which was probably
true. I remember when I went through all those shows feeling a little
embarrassed for Warren in that role, and the antics that it requires. He
gave it his best shot, but was sometimes a little slow on the draw, as well
as prone to occasional mumbling, which Dave valiantly tried to blame on the
microphone level.
Paul was born for the job, an incredibly talented musician with apparently
no inhibitions whatsoever. I don't always like what he does but his boss is
happy.
I simply wish he'd throw more Zevon into the mix. Warren seems to have been
dropped from the playlist in recent months.