"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"
Side-A label of U.S. 7-inch vinyl single
Single by Meat Loaf
from the album Bat Out of Hell
B-side
ReleasedOctober 1977 (US)
  • 24 March 1978 (UK) [1]
Recorded1976
Genre
Length4:15 (w/o spoken intro)
5:04 (w/ spoken intro)
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Jim Steinman
Producer(s)Todd Rundgren
Meat Loaf singles chronology
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"
(1977) 		"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"
(1978)
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 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."[6] It also said that Meat Loaf provides a "shivering performance."[7] 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

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[23] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[24] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Meat Loaf singles".
  2. ^ "Meat Loaf: 10 Essential Songs". Rolling Stone. 21 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. October 15, 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  4. ^ "The Big Book of Power Ballads". Forsyths.co.uk.
  5. ^ a b "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. October 22, 1977. p. 90. Retrieved 2020-07-11.
  6. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 15, 1977. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  7. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 4, 1978. p. 26. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  8. ^ a b c d Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book. Menonomee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 299. ISBN 978-0-89820-213-7.
  9. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (doc). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  10. ^ "Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  11. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0103a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  12. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1979" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  13. ^ "Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  14. ^ "Meat Loaf – You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  15. ^ "Meat Loaf: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  16. ^ "Meat Loaf Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  19. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1979". Ultratop. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  20. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1979". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  21. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1979". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  22. ^ "End of Year Charts 1978". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  23. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  24. ^ "British single certifications – Meat Loaf – You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
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