Album cover illustrated by Richard Corben, copyright Sony/Epic/Cleveland International Records
Sing it with me now Otterites.
Ain’t no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
‘Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely dressed
Ain’t no doubt about it
Baby got to go and shout it
Ain’t no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
‘Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely dressed
You know that song, Paradise by the Dashboard Light. Performed by Meatloaf, but written by Jim Steinman. Steinman passed away this past week at the age of 73, leaving behind a legacy of outsized, operatic rock songs made famous by the likes of Meatloaf and Bonnie Tyler.
Bat Out of Hell, the album that gave us Paradise, also gave the duo hits like Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth, and the title track, was released in 1977. By the time ol’ Martin (and of course Robert and Francis) were in high school, Bat was nearly wired into our teenage DNA. These were songs everyone knew. AOR radio loved the album and when you were out with friends or your girl in the late ’70s and all through the ’80s, you would hear it. Friday night, Saturday night, pretty much any night. By the time Phil Rizzuto kicked into the baseball monologue section of Paradise, you were singing along.
Steinman mushed together guitar rock, symphonic music, Meatloaf’s operatic persona and clever lyrics into enduring pop culture legacy unlike any other songwriter’s. Or least I can’t think of anyone in the same vein. The music holds up too, thanks to Steinman’s lyrics and Meatloaf’s vocals. If you are blasting any song from Bat on your streaming music or satellite radio, all those other cars in traffic will be jamming with you.
So here’s Paradis by the Dashboard Light straight from my Spotify like songs. Rock out, and never forget Jim Steinman. Pop Culture giant, and worthy of a Snakes & Otters shoutout.
