‘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". It was one of seven songs developed for Bat Out of Hell, with the first three songs having originated from Steinman's Peter Pan-based rock musical, Neverland. Steinman, Meat Loaf, and Ellen Foley (who had been cast as Wendy in Neverland) had all worked together on the National Lampoon Road Tour, where the singers had a history of performing over-the-top musical comedy sketches together.
After 10 days of rehearsals, the song was recorded at Bearsville Studios, with Meat Loaf and Ellen Foley providing vocals, producer Todd Rundgren playing guitar, Rundgren's Utopia bandmates Kasim Sulton on bass and Roger Powell on synthesizer, and Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band on piano and drums, respectively. Foley recorded her singing part in one take. Foley explained that the chemistry she displayed with Meat Loaf on the track came from the working relationship and friendship they had already cultivated. "I had known him and been on tour with him and we did crazy irreverent things that broke down any barriers," she said. "There was a sketch where I was a blind girl and he was my boyfriend and at one point he was humping my leg pretending to be my dog. All the crew and actors drove around the country in a blue van, so there was very little we didn't know about each other."
Ellen Foley, Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf first teamed up when they joined the touring production of The National Lampoon Show, which started as a 1973 off-Broadway play starring John Belushi. It was during this time that "Paradise" came together. In an interview, Foley said: "Jim was working with Meat Loaf on all the songs that would appear on Bat Out Of Hell. Some of them were already written and had been around for a while, and some were being created at that time. Jim was developing this idea about two kids in a car - a quintessentially American experience - which he loved. He was writing the song on the pianos at the college auditoriums at which we were performing. He recruited me to work on 'Paradise' with them. It evolved into a real friendship with me singing many of the parts."
The baseball play-by-play section, written specifically for New York Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto using phrases he would actually say while announcing, was recorded by Rizzuto with Steinman and Rundgren at The Hit Factory in New York in 1976. Rizzuto publicly maintained he was unaware that his contribution would be equated with sex in the finished song. However, Meat Loaf asserts that Rizzuto was fully aware of the context of what he was recording, and feigned ignorance only to stifle criticism. Meat Loaf felt that Rundgren's initial mix of ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ rendered the song unsuitable for inclusion on the album. After several attempts by several people, John Jansen mixed the version of ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light’ included on the album.
The single had modest success in the United States, peaking at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 23, 1978, and remaining on the chart for 10 weeks. In the Netherlands, the single became Meat Loaf's biggest all-time hit, reaching number one at the end of 1978, going on to be a hit there again in 1988. In Belgium, the single stalled at number 2 where it stayed for 5 weeks, being blocked from the Number 1 position the whole time by the Village People's "Y.M.C.A.". In various Dutch all-time charts, such as the Radio 2 Top 2000 or Radio Veronica's All Time Top 1000, the song consistently charts inside the top 30. In the United Kingdom the song did not chart at all, but is well known and is a classic rock staple.
Cash Box said that "Ellen Foley offers an excellent foil to Meat Loaf's romantic foibles." Record World said that it has a boogie woogie beat and is "heavier and longer than" Meatloaf's previous single ‘Two Out of Three Ain't Bad.’
Label – Epic
Songwriter – Jim Steinman
Producer – Todd Rundgren
SONG LYRICS
[Part 1: Paradise (0:00 - 3:30)][Verse 1: Meat Loaf]
Well, 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
[Pre-Chorus: Meat Loaf]
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!
Well c'mon! Hold on tight!
[Chorus: Meat Loaf & Ellen Foley]
Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard light
[Post-Chorus: Ellen Foley]
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
[Verse 2: Meat Loaf]
Baby don'tcha 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 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
[Pre-Chorus: Meat Loaf]
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!
Well c'mon! Hold on tight!
[Chorus: Meat Loaf & Ellen Foley]
Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night
I can see paradise by the dashboard light
Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night
Paradise by the dashboard light
[Post-Chorus 2: Meat Loaf & Ellen Foley]
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-
[Bridge: Meat Loaf & Ellen Foley]
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
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
[Part 2: Radio Broadcast (3:30 - 4:26)]
[Instrumental Breakdown]
[Spoken Interlude: Phil Rizzuto]
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, here's the throw, here's the play at the plate
Holy cow, I think he's gonna make it!
[Part 3: Let Me Sleep on It (4:27 - 6:56)]
[Verse 3: Ellen Foley]
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 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!?
Will you love me forever!?
[Verse 4: Meat Loaf]
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Let me sleep on it
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
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
I'll give you an answer in the morning
[Verse 5: Ellen Foley]
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? (Let me sleep on it)
Will you love me forever?
[Breakdown: Ellen Foley]
What's it gonna be boy?
Come on, I can wait all night
What's it gonna be boy? Yes or no?
What's it gonna be boy? Yes or no?
[Verse 6: Meat Loaf & (Ellen Foley)]
Let me sleep on it
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
Well, let me sleep on it
I'll give you an answer in the morning
(I gotta know right now!)
Let me sleep on it
(Do you love me?
Will you love me forever?)
Baby, baby let me sleep on it
(Do you need me?
Will you never leave me?)
Well, let me sleep on it
(Will you make me so happy for the rest of my life?)
I'll give you an answer in the morning, morning, I'll tell you in the morning
(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!?)
[Call & Response: Meat Loaf & (Ellen Foley)]
Let me sleep on it
(Will you love me forever?)
Let me sleep on it
(Will you love me forever?)
[Part 4: Praying for the End of Time (6:57 - 8:28)]
[Verse 7: Meat Loaf]
I couldn't take it any longer
Lord I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me
Like a tidal wave
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!
[Verse 8: Meat Loaf]
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!
[Outro: Meat Loaf & (Ellen Foley)]
Well, it was long ago and it was far away
And it was so much better than it is today
Well, it was long ago and it was far away
(It never felt so good)
And it was so much better than it is today
(It never felt so right)
It was long ago and it was far away
(And we were glowing like)
And it was so much better than it is today
(The metal on the edge of a knife)
It was long ago and it was far away
(It never felt so good)
And it was so much better than it is today
(It never felt so right)
It was long ago and it was far away
(And we were glowing like)
And it was so much better than it is today
(The metal on the edge of a knife)
It was long ago and it was far away
(It never felt so good)
And it was so much better than it is today
(It never felt so right)
It was long ago and it was far away
(And we were glowing like)
And it was so much better than it is today
(The metal on the edge of a knife)