Meat Loaf – Paradise By The Dashboard Light

About The Song

“Paradise by the Dashboard Light” is a song written by Jim Steinman. It was released in 1977 on the album Bat Out of Hell, with vocals by the American musician Meat Loaf alongside Ellen Foley. An uncommonly long song for a single, it has become a staple of classic rock radio and has been described as the “greatest rock duet”
This song is about a teenage boy trying to convince a girl to have sex with him in a car. Sex would be the “paradise” for him, but she holds out until he says he loves her and will stay with her forever. Overcome by passion, he does, and honors his word to spend the rest of his life with her even though he can’t stand her.
Like all the tracks on Bat Out of Hell, “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” was written by Jim Steinman, who had a very theatrical style perfect for Meat Loaf’s operatic rock voice. Steinman said the songs on the album are not directly personal, but are based on “obsessions and images.”
Two members of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band played on this track: Roy Bittan (keyboards and piano) and Max Weinberg (drums). The song’s composer, Jim Steinman, also contributed keyboards and is credited with “Lascivious Effects,” which we assume are some of the lovemaking sounds during the baseball narration.

The Springsteen influence goes beyond the two musicians who played on the track. Steinman and the album’s producer, Todd Rundgren, cite the Born To Run album, and especially the songs “Thunder Road” and “Jungleland,” as an influence. Bat Out of Hell was an even more grandiose collection of passionate songs about looking for something better in life – the Springsteen hallmarks dialed up a few notches.
Singer-songwriter Todd Rundgren, best known for his songs “Bang the Drum All Day” and “Hello It’s Me,” was the album’s producer and also sang background on this track. The album earned a huge payday for Rundgren, who found himself free from the shackles of the legal tender. Flush with cash, he started a video production facility and made one of the first videos to air on MTV: the clip for his song “Time Heals.”
On some levels, this song is absurd: a maudlin, grandiloquent duet running 8:28 (cut to 7:57 for the single). Many listeners heard the beauty in the song, but industry folks were far more skeptical, as it veered so far from convention. It made the US Top 40, but did so on the Billboard charts tagged as a “novelty” record, the same label given to Cheech & Chong and The Chipmunks.

Even the musicians working on the album had their doubts. Kasim Sulton, who played bass on the sessions (he was in Todd Rundgren’s band Utopia), told Songfacts: “Through the whole process I remember distinctly saying to myself, ‘This is just the biggest joke that I’ve ever been involved in. I cannot believe that these people got a record deal! This is just crazy. I’ll never hear this record. It’s just a joke. It’s a comedy record.'”

Video

Lyric

I remember every little thing
As if it happened only yesterday
Parking by the lake
And there was not another car in sight
And I never had a girl
Looking any better than you did
And all the kids at school
They were wishing they were me that night
And now our bodies are oh so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
And we’re glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
C’mon! Hold on tight!
C’mon! Hold on tight!
Thought it’s cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard light
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
Baby doncha hear my heart
You got it drowning out the radio
I’ve been waiting so long
For you to come along and have some fun
And I gotta let you know
No you’re never gonna regret it
So open up your eyes I got a big surprise
It’ll feel all right
Well I wanna make your motor run
And now our bodies are oh so close and tight
It never felt so good, it never felt so right
And we’re glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife
C’mon! Hold on tight!
C’mon! Hold on tight!
Though it’s cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard light
Paradise by the dashboard light
You got to do what you can
And let Mother Nature do the rest
Ain’t no doubt about it
We were doubly blessed
‘Cause we were barely seventeen
And we were barely
We’re gonna go all the way tonight
We’re gonna go all the way
And tonight’s the night…
We’re gonna go all the way tonight
We’re gonna go all the way
And tonight’s the night…
OK, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going here,
Two down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth,
There’s the windup, and there it is, a line shot up the middle,
Look at him go. This boy can really fly! He’s rounding first and really
Turning it on now, he’s not letting up at all, he’s gonna try for
Second; the ball is bobbled out in center, and here comes the
Throw, and what a throw! He’s gonna slide in head first, here he
Comes, he’s out! No, wait, safe-safe at second base, this kid
Really makes things happen out there. Batter steps up to the
Plate, here’s the pitch-he’s going, and what a jump he’s got,
He’s trying for third, here’s the throw, it’s in the dirt-safe at
Third! Holy cow, stolen base! He’s taking a pretty big lead out
There, almost daring him to try and pick him off. The pitcher
Glances over, winds up, and it’s bunted, bunted down the third
Base line, the suicide squeeze is on! Here he comes, squeeze
Play, it’s gonna be close, holy cow, I think he’s gonna make it!
Stop right there!
I gotta know right now!
Before we go any further!
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
Do you love me!?
Will you love me forever!?
Do you need me!?
Will you never leave me!?
Will you make me happy for the rest of my life!?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife!?
I gotta know right now
Before we go any further
Do you love me!?
Will you love me forever!?
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I’ll give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I’ll give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I’ll give you an answer in the morning
I gotta know right now
Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?
Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?
Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?
Will you take me away and will you make me your wife?
I gotta know right now!
Before we go any further
Do you love me?
And will you love me forever?
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
And I’ll give you an answer in the morning
Let me sleep on it
Will you love me forever?
Let me sleep on it
Will you love me forever!
I couldn’t take it any longer
Lord I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me
Like a tidal wave
I started swearing to my god and on my mother’s grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore that I would love you to the end of time!
So now I’m praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
‘Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don’t think that I can really survive
I’ll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now
I’m praying for the end of time
It’s all that I can do
Praying for the end of time,
So I can end my time with you!
It was long ago and it was far away
And it was so much better that it is today
It never felt so good
It never felt so right
And we were glowing like
A metal on the edge of a knife