Hit Me with Your Best Shot

you're a real tough crookie

To me, the meaning is in the first verse. She seems to be talking to a man who is known as a heart-breaker. A guy that Perhaps even uses women and then leaves them. But Pat is saying that even though she knows this about him, she still wants to be with him. Then the third verse line of "Before I put another notch in my lipstick case" seems to be saying that she is really just like him and that's why she wants to be with him. Like saying "push me away like all the other girls, but unlike them i'll keep coming back.

Isn't it obvious??? The first time I ever heard this song, when I was about 19 or so, I knew what it meant. It's very direct. The part of "hit me with your best shot, Fire Away" so OBVIOUSLY refers to the fact that she wants the guy to have sex with her and to "fire away", meaning shooting semen into her. Come on! Some of these comments are ridiculous. And the "putting another notch in my lipstick case" is a clever way of telling the guy to "put another notch on his belt", which traditionally indicates what a guy does (figuratively) after a conquest of a hot babe, usually referring to a stud type of guy who likes to brag about it. With Benatar, it's reversed; the lipstick case refers to a feminine way of saying the same thing. Also, it's obvious that the lipstick case, being that it's shaped like a penis, is symbolism, and not so subliminal or subtle, either! It doesn't take an authority on Ingmar Bergman films to figure out the very obvious lyrics of THIS song. I'd like to add that Benatar sounds pretty damned hot singing it, especially with these lyrics!

My sister says Pat Benatar rules!!!!

I love 'Invincible'.

i think this song gets right to the point. you're a heartbreaker and you've broken my heart, but ya know what? come back and ty again because, thanks to you, i'm not stronger... :)

The lyrics are a little cheesy, and when this song was first released I was in 7th grade and was somewhat confused as I'd only begun to hear about things like S&M. Obviously this song isn't about that at all. But forget the words and the meaning, and listen to that guitar. Neil ‘Spyder’ Giraldo, Pat's husband, is way underrated as a guitar player! Granted this solo is no Eddie Van Halen trick instrumental, but listen to how many different sounds he crams into a 30 second lead break. Plus he's a really nice guy and has been faithfully married over 20 years. They get a strong C for lyrical content, but an A for musicianship. Next time it's on the radio don't be so quick to turn the dial; it's less than 3 minutes of your time, and if you open your mind and ears you'll hear some really great guitar work!

I wanted to add that certainly Giraldo is such a formidable guitar player and arranger of course! You can hear that specially on those last albums(end of 80's and up to the 90's) where the airplay wasn't very generous with Benatar...a pity!

I love this song. This lyrics are a little off instead of "Put up your terms, let's get down to it" it's "Put up your dukes, let's get down to it". And it's "You come on with a come on, you don't fight fair" not "You come on with a compound, you don't fight fair" As for the meaning, I always took it as sarcastic. The singer is saying, Come on, hit me again because obviously I'm not good enough for you. Like mocking whoever is abusing her. It's such an awesome song.

i love this song on guitar hero 3@!