When I was in the Mimes and Mummers (1984-'87, if you're keeping track), we had certain rituals at cast parties. One was the ritual performance of "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights," with all the men facing all the women.
Ham acting was encouraged--indeed, required--and there was no such thing as going over the top.
How young and (relatively) innocent we were then.
(Worst romantic "tip" anyone ever gave me, when I was a young, innocent freshman? "Go up to [Name Redacted] and ask to stand next to her fire. Then tell her Jimi Hendrix said that." Yeah. Try that, sometime. You have only your dignity to lose. And nothing whatsoever to gain.]
"Paradise" was, of course, written by Jim Steinman, who gave us this '80s classic:
Anyone having the vaguest clue what the hell (if anything) this
K? Thnx, bai!
(Edited to allow for the fact that the lyrics make sense; it's the video…)
Jim Steinman's music is about, alternately, youth and love, and the pain that both can bring.
ReplyDeleteProtagonists in Steinman songs love their significant others with every fiber of their beings, and are either rewarded for their affection, or are totally crushed when their love is spurned. "Left in the Dark" is about the ability of a person to lie to themselves about a lover's indiscretions for the sake of being with them one more night. And in case you never have the patience to make it through the whole song, the one thing the guy won't do in "I would do anything for love (bit I Won't Do That)" is leave her.
Youth is a precious commodity that we are burning through at every moment (The recurring theme "We'll never be as young as we are right now") and we must do everything we can while we still have the invulnerability it affords us.
TEotH is, simply, about the utter sadness one feels when one lover denies you their love, and turns their back on you, for even a moment. Which is why you want them to "turn around".
My love for the work of Jim Steinman is deep and abiding. He has done a LOT more music than the average person knows. Most people know that one Meat loaf album and that's it.
I hope every day that the Bat Out Of Hell musical actually happens.
I love the song; it's the video that throws me--and even that I enjoy as the guiltiest of guilty pleasures. But yeah, Steinman writes songs like nobody else and I enjoy them immensely.
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