You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" | ||||
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Side-A label of U.S. 7-inch vinyl single | ||||
Single by Meat Loaf | ||||
from the album Bat Out of Hell | ||||
B-side |
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Released | October 1977 (US)
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Recorded | 1976 | |||
Genre |
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Length | 4:15 (w/o spoken intro) 5:04 (w/ spoken intro) | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jim Steinman | |||
Producer(s) | Todd Rundgren | |||
Meat Loaf singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
Video on YouTube | ||||
"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.[citation needed]
Background
The power ballad[4] 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.[5] Billboard also commented on how occasional pauses in the instruments allow the "infectious" vocals to be highlighted.[5] 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 time it peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #42 on the Cash Box Top 100 over a year after the first release of the song. [6]
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."[7] It also said that Meat Loaf provides a "shivering performance."[8] Record World called it a "powerful pop-rocker" and said that "the title/hook is as good as any this year."[3]
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
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[24] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[25] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ "Meat Loaf singles".
- ^ "Meat Loaf: 10 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. 21 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 15, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
- ^ "The Big Book of Power Ballads". Forsyths.co.uk.
- ^ a b "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. October 22, 1977. p. 90. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2014). Joel Whitburn’s CashBox Pop Hits 1952-1996. Record Research. ISBN 978-0-89820-209-0.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 15, 1977. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 4, 1978. p. 26. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ a b c d Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book. Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-89820-213-7.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0103a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Meat Loaf: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Meat Loaf Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1979". Ultratop. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1979". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "End of Year Charts 1978". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
- ^ "British single certifications – Meat Loaf – You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- v
- t
- e
- Bat Out of Hell (1977)
- Dead Ringer (1981)
- Midnight at the Lost and Found (1983)
- Bad Attitude (1984)
- Blind Before I Stop (1986)
- Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993)
- Welcome to the Neighbourhood (1995)
- Couldn't Have Said It Better (2003)
- Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006)
- Hang Cool Teddy Bear (2010)
- Hell in a Handbasket (2011)
- Braver Than We Are (2016)
- Live at Wembley (1987)
- Live Around the World (1996)
- VH1: Storytellers (1999)
- Bat Out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2004)
- 3 Bats Live (2008)
- Hits Out of Hell (1985)
- Heaven & Hell (1989)
- The Very Best of Meat Loaf (1998)
- Stoney & Meatloaf (1971)
- Free-for-All (1976)
- Hits Out of Hell
- Bat Out of Hell II: Picture Show
- VH1: Storytellers
- To Hell and Back: The Meat Loaf Story
- Bat Out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
- 3 Bats Live
- Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise
- The Seize the Night Tour (2006–07)
- The Casa de Carne Tour (2008)
- Guilty Pleasure Tour (2011)
- Mad, Mad World Tour (2012)
- Last at Bat Tour (2013)
- "What You See Is What You Get"
- "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"
- "Paradise by the Dashboard Light"
- "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"
- "Bat Out of Hell"
- "I'm Gonna Love Her for Both of Us"
- "Dead Ringer for Love"
- "Read 'Em and Weep"
- "In Europe '82"
- "If You Really Want To"
- "Razor's Edge"
- "Midnight at the Lost and Found"
- "Modern Girl"
- "Nowhere Fast"
- "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries"
- "Blind Before I Stop"
- "Special Girl"
- "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"
- "Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back"
- "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"
- "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are"
- "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)"
- "Not a Dry Eye in the House"
- "Runnin' for the Red Light (I Gotta Life)"
- "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste"
- "Is Nothing Sacred"
- "Did I Say That?"
- "Couldn't Have Said It Better"
- "Man of Steel"
- "It's All Coming Back to Me Now"
- "Cry Over Me"
- "Los Angeloser"
- Discography
- Jim Steinman
- Neverland Express
- Stoney & Meatloaf
- Ted Nugent
- Pearl Aday
- To Hell and Back