Some songs are so tightly woven into an artist’s identity that fans can’t imagine a concert without them. Pat Benatar felt differently. In July 2022, she told USA Today she would no longer perform “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” live, explaining that the lyrics felt inappropriate after the country’s relentless mass shootings. Here’s the story behind that decision, and how it fits into a career that earned her four Grammys and a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

4 related posts

Grammy Awards: 4 · Born: January 10, 1953 · Spouse: Neil Giraldo (married 1982) · Biggest Hit: Love Is a Battlefield · Refused Song: Hit Me With Your Best Shot · Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Inducted 2022

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Pat Benatar refuses to sing “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” (USA Today)
  • She married guitarist Neil Giraldo in 1982 (Wikipedia)
  • Her ethnicity is Polish, Irish, and English (Wikipedia)
  • She has won four Grammy Awards (Grammy.com)
  • She is still performing as of 2025 (Official website)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact date of the first public refusal announcement remains unverified
  • Whether she will ever perform the song again in the future is unknown
3Timeline signal
  • 1980 – “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” released (Billboard)
  • 2022 – Benatar announces she will stop performing it (USA Today)
  • 2022 – Inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Long Island Press)
4What’s next

Eight key facts about Pat Benatar’s life and career, at a glance.

Fact Detail
Full Name Patricia Mae Giraldo (née Andrzejewski)
Born January 10, 1953, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Occupation Singer, songwriter
Spouse Neil Giraldo (m. 1982)
Grammy Awards 4 (Best Female Rock Vocal Performance x4)
Biggest Hit Love Is a Battlefield (1983)
Refused Song Hit Me With Your Best Shot (since 2023)
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inducted 2022

These milestones define a career that forced a reckoning with a signature hit.

What song does Pat Benatar refuse to sing?

Why this matters

Pat Benatar’s refusal to sing a career-defining hit is a rare public stance from a legacy artist, signaling that even decades-old pop culture can be re-evaluated in the context of gun violence.

In July 2022, Pat Benatar told USA Today she would no longer perform “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” (her 1980 hit from the album Crimes of Passion) because of the frequency of mass shootings. She said the lyrics, though tongue-in-cheek, felt wrong to sing with a smile. The decision was covered by ABC News, Today, CNN, and People.

Why did Pat Benatar decide to stop singing this song?

  • Benatar stated: “I couldn’t say the lyrics with a smile” (USA Today)
  • She called it her “small way of protesting” (Today)
  • She emphasized that she does not use the stage as a soapbox, preferring to speak to legislators directly (USA Today)

Since the announcement, Benatar has not performed the song at any concert, as confirmed by multiple concert reports and media coverage. The change has been permanent across all her subsequent tours.

How did the public react to her decision?

  • Major outlets reported the story widely; Billboard noted the song’s history (Billboard)
  • CNN framed it as a protest against persistent gun violence (CNN)
  • People reported that Benatar was 69 at the time (People)

Public response was mixed; some fans appreciated the principled stand, while others missed hearing the classic live. Benatar’s decision, however, has remained firm.

Bottom line: Pat Benatar has permanently retired “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” from her live shows as a protest against mass shootings, a stance that has been consistent since July 2022.

What is Pat Benatar’s ethnicity?

The upshot

Benatar’s Polish, Irish, and English roots reflect a classic American immigrant story, yet her music career transcended ethnic boundaries to become a rock icon.

What are her family origins?

  • Her father was of Polish descent (Wikipedia)
  • Her mother was of Irish and English ancestry (Wikipedia)
  • She was born Patricia Andrzejewski in Brooklyn, New York (Wikipedia)

Does her ethnicity influence her music?

Benatar has not publicly discussed how her ethnic background shapes her songwriting. Her Polish surname Andrzejewski is a nod to her heritage, but her music has always drawn from universal rock and pop influences rather than specific ethnic traditions.

The implication: Benatar’s identity as a rock star has more to do with her sound than her surname.

Did Pat Benatar marry her guitarist?

The trade-off

Marrying her creative partner meant a lifelong collaboration that produced some of rock’s most memorable power ballads, but also blurred the lines between personal and professional life.

Who is Neil Giraldo?

  • Neil Giraldo is a guitarist, songwriter, and producer (Wikipedia)
  • He was hired as Benatar’s guitarist and co-writer in 1979 (Wikipedia)
  • He co-wrote many of her biggest hits, including “Love Is a Battlefield” (Wikipedia)

How did they meet and fall in love?

  • They met in 1979 when Giraldo was hired as her guitarist (Wikipedia)
  • They married in 1982 (Wikipedia)
  • They have two daughters together (Wikipedia)

Their partnership extended beyond marriage; Giraldo has been her bandleader and producer for over four decades, making them one of rock’s most enduring artistic partnerships. The pattern: creative synergy turned into a lasting marriage.

What is Pat Benatar’s biggest song?

What to watch

While “Love Is a Battlefield” is her biggest chart hit, the power ballad “We Belong” and the defiant “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” remain equally essential to her live shows.

Which songs are considered her signature hits?

  • “Love Is a Battlefield” reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983 (Billboard)
  • “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” reached No. 9 in 1980 (Billboard)
  • “We Belong” reached No. 5 in 1984 (Billboard)
  • “Heartbreaker” reached No. 23 in 1979 (Billboard)

How did “Love Is a Battlefield” become iconic?

The song’s music video, directed by Bob Giraldi, was one of the first to tell a narrative story, featuring Benatar as a runaway teenage girl. It won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and became an anthem for female empowerment (Grammy.com).

What this means: the song’s narrative video set a template for the 1980s music video era.

Is Pat Benatar still performing?

The upshot

Despite stepping away from one of her biggest hits, Benatar remains an active touring act with dates booked through 2026, proving that her legacy is bigger than any single song.

What are her recent tour dates?

  • Fall 2025 tour dates announced on her official website (PatBenatar.com)
  • Spring 2026 tour dates also posted (PatBenatar.com)

Has she retired?

  • She has not retired; she continues to perform with Neil Giraldo (PatBenatar.com)
  • She remains active in the music industry, with periodic interviews and social media presence (Instagram)

The catch: even without its biggest singalong, her live show endures.

Timeline

Eight milestones that chart Benatar’s career and her principled decision.

  • – Born in Brooklyn, New York.
  • – Releases debut album ‘In the Heat of the Night’; meets guitarist Neil Giraldo.
  • – First Grammy Award for ‘Crimes of Passion’.
  • – Marries Neil Giraldo.
  • – Release of ‘Love Is a Battlefield’, her biggest hit.
  • – Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
  • – Publicly states she will no longer perform ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ due to mass shootings.
  • – Continues to tour with Giraldo; fall tour announced.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

  • Pat Benatar refuses to sing ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’.
  • She married guitarist Neil Giraldo in 1982.
  • Her ethnicity is Polish, Irish, and English.
  • She has won four Grammy Awards.
  • She is still performing as of 2025.

What’s unclear

  • Exact date of the first public refusal announcement remains unverified.
  • Whether she will ever perform the song again in the future is unknown.

In her own words

“I couldn’t say the lyrics with a smile.”

– Pat Benatar, USA Today interview (July 2022)

“It’s my small way of protesting.”

– Pat Benatar, Today interview (July 2022)

Pat Benatar’s decision to retire “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” is more than a footnote in her career — it’s a reflection of how artists can evolve their relationship with their own work in the face of societal shifts. For fans who have followed her since the early 80s, the choice is clear: either accept a setlist that leaves out that anthem, or miss the chance to see a rock legend still performing with the same fire that earned her four Grammys and a place in the Hall of Fame. Benatar’s career ultimately shows that principle can coexist with popularity.

Related reading

Additional sources

abcnews.go.com, youtube.com, americansongwriter.com, en.wikipedia.org, youtube.com

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Frequently asked questions

Why did Pat Benatar decide to stop singing ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’?

She stated in 2022 that the song’s lyrics felt inappropriate in light of the frequency of mass shootings in the United States. She said she could no longer sing them with a smile and that it was her small way of protesting.

When did Pat Benatar announce she would not perform the song anymore?

She first publicly announced the decision in July 2022 during a USA Today interview.

Has Pat Benatar performed the song since her announcement?

No, she has not performed it live since the announcement.

What other songs has Pat Benatar refused to perform?

There are no reports of her refusing any other songs; only “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” has been retired from her setlist.

How did fans react to Pat Benatar’s decision?

Reaction was mixed; some praised her principled stance, while others expressed disappointment at losing a classic live track. The decision received widespread media coverage.

Did Pat Benatar’s refusal affect her tour sales?

There is no public data indicating that tour sales were negatively impacted. She continues to sell out shows on her 2025 tour.

What is Pat Benatar’s stance on gun violence?

Benatar has not issued a formal policy statement but has called the decision a protest, and she prefers to speak to legislators directly rather than use her stage as a soapbox.

Does Pat Benatar still perform her other hits live?

Yes, she continues to perform her other major hits including “Love Is a Battlefield,” “We Belong,” and “Heartbreaker.”