#SLS ~ Full Contact

Thanks to Jim Adams, for hosting Song Lyric Sunday. Have you looked at Jim’s site yet? There’s always good stuff there, and also the rules for #SLS and upcoming prompts. Have an idea for a prompt? Let Jim know he’ll add it in.

This week we have – Sports songs

I was at a complete loss. I could think of a bunch of songs that get played at sporting events, but a song about sports? I had a few ideas but decided to do a search. I found a song about my favorite sport by an artist I’ve used before. The artist is Warren Zevon, and the song is Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)

Ice hockey is my all time favorite, and my favorite team is Detroit Red Wings (#LGRW). Every year I would treat myself by getting tickets to see the Wings play the Ducks up in Anaheim. It’s the closest NHL team to where I live. I’d stay overnight in the hotel across from the arena and just have fun. Younger went with me cuz Daughter didn’t feel comfortable being so far away from Ben overnight. Anaheim is about ninety miles north of San Diego.

I stopped going because the tickets, the hotel and the miscellaneous was costing $750.00+ and I just can’t justify the expense. Okay, enough about me… on to the song.

Songfacts tells us “The lyrics for this song were written by Mitch Albom, a sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press and bestselling author (Tuesdays with Morrie, The Five People You Meet in Heaven), and a longtime friend of Zevon.” The music was written by Warren Zevon, so they share writing credit.

The song is from the 2002 album My Ride Is Here which was viewed by many as a comeback album for Zevon. He’d been active since his peak years in the 70s, but hadn’t had much success. Sadly, Zevon was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and passed on September 7, 2003.

The person yelling “Hit somebody!” in the chorus is another friend of Zevon, David Letterman.

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
What else can a farm boy from Canada to do
But what’s a Canadian farm boy to do
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 some, Buddy! 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
What else can a farm boy from Canada to do
But what’s a Canadian farm boy to do
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
But what’s a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada to do

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Are you a hockey fan? Do you have a sport song that would be perfect? Let me know in comments, or join the #SLS party and create your own post.

(I’m still on semi-hiatus. Life at the Casa has been more Cuckoo than usual. Ben is on break until August 30th, and his sleep problems are worse. At least one night in five he doesn’t sleep at all. AT. ALL. I’m lurking around WP, reading here and there, commenting occasionally. I don’t know when I’ll be back back, but I’ll be here every Sunday.

Also, Daughter worked a COVID unit Saturday night… it’s bad out there. Stay safe my WP dudes!)

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HUGS!

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