Bat Out Of Hell
The title tune is a mini-album in itself. The writing of the song was held up while Steinman labored on getting the verses about the motorcycle crash just right. Producer Todd Rundgren added the Harley-Davidson effects with his guitar. Listen To A Clip
You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth
Written as a tribute to Phil Spector while Steinman and Loaf toured with the National Lampoon Road Show. It won over label boss Steve Popovich, who declared the guitar intro one of the best in rock ‘n’ roll. Listen To A Clip
Heaven Can Wait
Singer Elena Reed originally performed the first song Steinman wrote for the album. Steinman was her accompanist when she opened for Bette Midler at New York’s Continental Baths. Listen To A Clip
All Revved Up With No Place to Go
While Steinman was sick with the flu, Todd Rundgren turned a ten-minute song into this concise four-minute rocker and got Edgar Winter to play saxophone. Listen To A Clip
Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad
Friend and actress Mimi Kennedy once asked Steinman, “Can’t you write something simple?” and he responded with this ballad inspired by Elvis Presley’s “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.” Listen To A Clip
Paradise By the Dashboard Light
Based on front-seat fumbling of a teenaged Meat Loaf, the three-act “Paradise” was originally 20 minutes long. Yankees commentator Phil Rizzuto was allegedly oblivious to the sexual content of his play-by-play commentary. Listen To A Clip
For Crying Out Loud
The closing ballad is Jim Steinman’s favorite song on the album, not least for what he calls the “boner line”: “I know you belong inside my aching heart/ And can’t you see my faded Levi’s bursting apart.” Listen To A Clip
