Lots of reasons this song has been on my mind lately. The hockey playoffs are going on right now. David Letterman, who will be ending his show May 20, guest stars on the track. (And Paul Shaffer plays organ.) And the album that houses this song, My Ride's Here, dropped this month 13 years ago. Letterman and Warren Zevon were old pals, and as Late Show winds to a close, there have been reminders of their friendship on the show. (Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires played Zevon's "Mutineer" the other night.)
"Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" was co-written by Zevon and longtime sportswriter (and Tuesdays With Morrie author) Mitch Albom, and it tells the story of a hockey goon with aspirations to be a scorer. It's a silly, endearing little tale, mostly for Letterman's yelled chorus hook. I hope it never gets made into a Kevin Smith movie.
