Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1977
You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth
Buy You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth
| cover = You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth by Meat Loaf US vinyl.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Side-A label of U.S. 7-inch vinyl single
| type = single
| artist = Meat Loaf
| album = Bat Out of Hell
| B-side =
* "For Crying Out Loud"
* "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (1978 reissue)
| released = October 1977 (US)
*24 March 1978 (UK)
| recorded = 1976
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = 4:15 (w/o spoken intro)
5:04 (w/ spoken intro)
| label = Epic
| writer = Jim Steinman
| producer = Todd Rundgren
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
| next_year = 1978
| misc =
}}
"'You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth'" (also known as "'You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)'") is the first solo single by the American singer Meat Loaf, released in 1977. It is a track from his album 'Bat Out of Hell', written by Jim Steinman.Angelina Jolie - The Lightning Star - Page 200 1471089355 C. Duthel "... songs, "Bat Out Of Hell," "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," "You Took the Words Right out of My Mouth" and "Two out of Three Ain't Bad. ... Meat Loaf's final show in New York was Gower Champion's Rockabye Hamlet, a Hamlet musical."
Background
The power ballad begins with a spoken word introduction by Jim Steinman and actress Marcia McClain:
:Steinman: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
:McClain: Will he offer me his mouth?
:Steinman: Yes.
:McClain: Will he offer me his teeth?
:Steinman: Yes.
:McClain: Will he offer me his jaws?
:Steinman: Yes.
:McClain: Will he offer me his hunger?
:Steinman: Yes.
:McClain: Again, will he offer me his hunger?
:Steinman: Yes!
:McClain: And will he starve without me?
:Steinman: Yes!
:McClain: And does he love me?
:Steinman: Yes.
:McClain: Yes.
:Steinman: On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?
:McClain: Yes.
:Steinman: I bet you say that to all the boys.
Steve Popovich reportedly listened to the intro to the song and it became a key factor of his accepting 'Bat Out of Hell' for Cleveland International Records.
According to his autobiography, Meat Loaf asked Jim Steinman to write a song that was not 15 or 20 minutes long, and, in Meat Loaf's words, a "pop song." His autobiography also dates the writing of the song to 1975, the song reportedly being a key factor in Meat Loaf and Steinman deciding to do an album together.
The song was the first single released from the album, with an edit of "For Crying Out Loud" as the B-side. The record peaked at No. 73 in the 'Record World' singles chart, but only reached No. 97 in 'Cash Box' and didn't appear at all in 'Billboard' Hot 100. 'Billboard' reviewed the single, finding the guitar introduction to be energetic, the beat to be "catchy" and the vocal performance to be somewhat similar to Bruce Springsteen. 'Billboard' also commented on how occasional pauses in the instruments allow the "infectious" vocals to be highlighted. Following the success of the next two singles, "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", the song was re-released in October 1978 with "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" as the B-side. This issue peaked at No. 39 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart, over a year after the first release of the song.
Reception
'Cash Box' called it "a classic rocker from its Spector-esque drum sound to the a capella coda with handclaps" and said that it "is a perfect rock synthesis." It also said that Meat Loaf provides a "shivering performance."
Music video
The video, as with "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad", "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", and the others in the "Bat out of Hell" set, was filmed on a soundstage as if it were a live performance, with Meat Loaf in his signature suspenders, ripped formal shirt, and bearing a red scarf.
Personnel
* Meat Loaf - lead vocals, percussion (as Marvin Lee)
* Todd Rundgren - guitar, percussion, backing vocals
* Kasim Sultan - bass guitar
* Roy Bittan - piano, keyboards
* Jim Steinman - keyboards, percussion, male dialogue intro
* Roger Powell - synthesizer
* Edgar Winter - saxophone
* Max Weinberg - drums
* Rory Dodd, Ellen Foley - additional backing vocals
* Marcia McClain - female dialogue intro
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
Category:Songs about language
Category:1977 debut singles
Category:Meat Loaf songs
Category:Songs written by Jim Steinman
Category:Song recordings produced by Todd Rundgren
Category:Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements
Category:1977 songs
Category:Epic Records singles
Category:Rock ballads
Buy You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1977