Meat Loaf – Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad
About The Song
“Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” is the fifth song from the iconic American musician Meat Loaf and the 1977 “Bat Out of Hell” album. Meat Loaf sadly passed away earlier in 2022 due to Covid-19 complications.
The soft rock power ballad was the final song written for Meat Loaf’s debut album “Bat Out of Hell“, and details the story of a character breaking up with their girlfriend in first person. The song also highlights the importance of a genuine romantic connection, rather than just a physical and sexual one. In 2003, VH1 created a documentary series discussing and covering the best albums created (titled “Ultimate Albums”), in which the writer of Meat Loaf’s songs – Jim Steinman – recalled the writing and inspiration of the song:
“[…] the oldies station was on the radio and it was playing that old Elvis song, ‘I Want You, I Need,’ whatever it was. ‘I Want You, I NeedYou, I Love You’, you know. I just started singing my own song but it was ‘I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.’… I remember going home and I tried so hard but the best I could do was: ‘I want you, I need you but there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you, don’t be sad, ’cause two out of three ain’t bad’.”
The music video for the song was shot in 1978 and was directed by Arnold Levine. The music video is simple – a video of Meat Loaf performing the track live, which is often the case for a majority, if not all, of Meat Loaf’s music videos. Uploaded to YouTube in March 2013, the video had a total of 77.4 million views as of mid-February 2022.
“Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” spent a total of 23 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at #11, as well as being certified Gold in Canada, Silver in the UK and Platinum in the US.
Video
Lyric
Baby, we can talk all night
But that ain’t gettin us nowhere
I told you everything I possibly can
There’s nothing left inside of here
And maybe you can cry all night
But that’ll never change the way that I feel
The snow is really piling up outside
I wish you wouldn’t make me leave here
I poured it on and I poured it out
I tried to show you just how much I care
I’m tired of words and I’m too hoarse to shout
But you’ve been cold to me so long
I’m crying icicles instead of tears
And all I can do is keep on telling you
I want you (I want you)
I need you (I need you)
There ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you
Now don’t be sad (don’t be sad ’cause)
‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad
Now don’t be sad (’cause)
‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad
You’ll never find your gold on a sandy beach
You’ll never drill for oil on a city street
I know you’re looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks
But there ain’t no Coup de Ville
Hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box
I can’t lie (I can’t lie)
I can’t tell you that I’m something I’m not
No matter how I try
I’ll never be able to give you something
Something that I just haven’t got
There’s only one girl I’ll ever love
And that was so many years ago
And though I know I’ll never get her out of my heart
She never loved me back
Ooh I know
Well I remember how she left me on a stormy night
Oh she kissed me and got out of our bed
And though I pleaded and I begged her not to walk out that door
She packed her bags and turned right away
And she kept on telling me
She kept on telling me
She kept on telling me
I want you (I want you)
I need you (I need you)
There ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you
Now don’t be sad (don’t be sad ’cause)
‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad
I want you (I want you)
I need you (I need you)
There ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you
Now don’t be sad (don’t be sad ’cause)
‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad
Now don’t be sad
‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad
Baby, we can talk all night
But that ain’t getting us nowhere
