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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

This song is about a teenage boy trying to convince a girl to have sex with him in a car. Sex would be the "Paradise" for him, but she holds out until he says he loves her and will stay with her forever. Overcome by passion, he does, and honors his word to spend the rest of his life with her even though he can't stand her.

Two members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band played on this: Pianist Roy Bittan and drummer Max Weinberg.

Singer-songwriter Todd Rundgren, best known for his songs "Bang the Drum All Day" and "Hello It's Me," was the album's producer.

Meat Loaf was originally signed to RCA records, but when they expressed dissatisfaction with the choice of Rundgren as producer, Loaf and company switched to Epic. This was his first album.

The woman's voice on the record is Ellen Foley, but she was replaced on tour with Karla DeVito. Their performances were sexually charged, but it was an act, as Meat Loaf was happily married. Foley has been in various movies, including Fatal Attraction, Married To The Mob, and Cocktail. She was also on the TV show Night Court until she was replaced by Markie Post.

The baseball announcer is former New York Yankees shortstop Phil Rizzuto, who became a broadcaster for the team when he retired. Meat Loaf was a big fan of The Yankees, so he made sure to get Rizzuto to do the baseball part.

Baseball is used as a metaphor for sex. The young man almost makes it home, but is thrown out at the plate when the girl decides she won't have sex with him. Rizzuto claimed he did not know his part would be used to refer to sex, but Meat Loaf claims he knew exactly how they were going to use it. Rizzuto tried to distance himself from the song when he got angry letters from some Yankee fans with conservative values. Meat Loaf asked him to tour with him, but Rizzuto turned him down.

The baseball reference is strategically wrong because no baseball team uses a squeeze play with two outs. With two outs, all the defense has to do is pick the ball up and throw to first and you are out of the inning. (thanks, Ray - Jackson, NJ)

This helped push the album to platinum sales before the end of the year and sell millions more since. He had a long dry spell, but in 1993 his album Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell was a huge hit.

This is very popular at weddings and other functions where people with no rhythm like to dance. At weddings, DJs will often have the guys stand on one side of the dance floor and the girls on the other, then have them sing this to each other. This works best at weddings with an open bar.

In 2003, General Motors used this in commercials to promote their "24 hour test drive." The campaign was titled "Sleep On It."

Comments:

This is one of my favorite songs of alllll time. it is soo hilarious. I'd even go as far as to say this is one of (if not THE) funniest songs of all time. hahaha lol. Really funny stuff.
- Logan, Anniston, AL

To say no baseball team would do a squeeze play with two outs is wrong. I saw the Red Sox beat the Yankees with a two-out squeeze play back in 1984 (+/- a year). I've seen a few others on highlight shows since then. It's rare, but not unheard of and succeeds because no one expects it.
- Doug, Harrisburg, PA

I always liked how the video begins with the opening dialogue from "Hot Summer Night". It doesn't fit this song that well, but it works so perfectly as an intro to the video.
- S.D., Denver, CO

I think he says "And all the kids at school, they were wishin' they were meat that night" insted of "And all the kids at school, they were wishin' they were me that night" But I may be wrong...
- Nick, Dacula, GA

Actually this isn't really a wedding song i'd say For Crying out Loud is a perfect wedding song even if it is 8:42 which is a long time to dance and speeds up in the middle which i am also listening to at the moment it is also 1 of Meat Loafs best songs along with Bat out of Hell Paradise by the Dashboard Light as mentioned earlier and Seize the Night which i am now listening to from his new 2006 album That song is absolutly amazing its the best song ever Rock vs Classical just like Bohemian Rhapsody in fact it is just as good as Bohemian Rhapsody
- Jesus of Suburbia, Frinton On Sea, AL

A great deal of space in this discussion has been wasted on opinions on the strategy and frequency of a squeeze play - myself included. DROP IT! (note: The use of a superlative is almost always innacurate ;)
- Barry, Ossian, IN

must be nice to afford to only go to major league games if those of you above would bother to go to a minor league games you would see the squeeze play with 2 outs on a regular basis
- james, beloit, WI

As for a squeeze play with two outs and a man on third, it's not a typical call, but it's not unheard of. Actually, if you've got a speedy runner on third and one at the plate, a drop bunt on the first base side would probably be successful. The pitcher and corner infielders would be caught off-guard. If the first baseman charges - and he would - the second baseman would have to cover first, again something he wouldn't anticipate. The Mets did this a couple of times in 2007 with success with Jose Reyes batting and Carlos Gomez on third on time and Lastings Millege on third the other time. I believe the Florida Marlins also used this at least once this past season.
- David, Youngstown, OH

The "Paradise" that he sees by the dashboard light is neither the girls name or the act of sex but is the promised land between her legs.
- Randy, Lynchburg, VA

Phil Rizzuto - RIP
- Paul, Rothesay, New Brunswick , Canada

This is a greta song, tells a story.
- Kristin, Yaphank, NY

Sorry Joe from St. Louis, but in baseball, no matter how many people cross home plate with two outs, if the batter gets forced out at first base none of the runs count. The fact up top is correct.
- Craig, Gainesville, FL

just throwing this out there...some people say first base is t*ts, second is 'hands-on', and third is oral...homerun is obvious.
- Ed, Ottawa, Canada

I think that Marvin, East Brady, PA may be on to something thinking some of the baseball reference may alude to the woman't bad choices. He gave her a chance to stop it there when he "practically dared the pitcher to try and pick him off.
- Jake, Atchison, KS

I always thought that Paradise was the name of the girl, and he could see her by the dashboard lights.
- Deo, Annandale, VA

Ever see the live 'video' for this song? Judging by Ms. Devito's sweater, it was a very cold stage....
- Hugh, Kansas City, MO

We understand the metaphor Bill, Wolcott, CT, it's not that difficult to grasp. Ray's point is more of a literal clarification. In baseball, teams don't attempt a squeeze play with 2 outs. That's all there is to it.
- Jason, Troy, IL

is it true that Elton John Wrote this? or am i dreaming?
- Dee, khancoban, Australia

Another little tibit, backup singer Karla DeVito is married to actor Robby Benson.
- sailor, San Antonio, TX

I have to comment to Ray in Jackson, NJ with regards to the strategy that teams use with 2 outs. Ray....its a song....first base is a kiss, 2nd base is feeling up her chest, 3rd base is below the belt...and the HOMERUN....or scoring...no need to spell it out. Its only a metaphor for the song.....
- Bill, Wolcott, CT

I would like this song a lot better if it skipped the first two minutes or so. It is unnecessarily long for repetitive listening.
- Kailyn, Anywhere, NY

Danny DeVito doesn't have a little sister. His website says he has only a big sister, "Sister: Angela DeVito (beauty-parlor owner; older)" Karla DeVito is talented enough without having Danny as a big brother.
- Don, Centreville, VA

There is a story that "Scooter" Rizzuto had no idea what kind of song he was recording the baseball play-by-play for and was mortified when he heard the finished product.
- Ken, Louisville, KY

Karla DeVito is not related to Danny DeVito in any way. If you want to know more about her visit http://karladevito.homestead.com
- HÃ¥kan, Falun, Sweden

Before we go hit the town me and my friends all climb up a table and sing this song! I love it!
- Gelein, Apeldoorn, Netherlands

Popular at weddings? But praying for the end of time because I married you just to get laid and now I hate you, but I won't divorce you because of morals I hold-- I don't think it belongs at weddings.
- Gregmon, Intelbuquerque, NM

Karla DeVito is in fact Danny devito's little sister and Phil rizzuto did say that he would do the voice over as long as it didn't have any explitives in it
- Joe, Ocala, FL

If you read the liner notes, Ellen Foley is credited as "Mrs. Soft Piano"
- Ace, Marion, VA

actually, isn't it two outs to show the girl's strategic error? she didn't hav to get herself in that situation, she let him go for home rather than take him out before he even got to first...or sumthin like that
- Marvin, East Brady, PA

The baseball reference is strategically wrong as no baseball team uses a squeeze play with two outs. With two outs all the defense has to do is pick the ball up and throw to first and you are out of the inning.
- Ray, Jackson, NJ

This is a great song! I had my two teens listen to this, hoping they'd get the message at the end and not end up married w/someone they just wanted to sleep with! Rock on!!
- Sandy, Lacey, WA

Ellen Foley (female vocal) later went on to play public defender Billie Young on the TV show Night Court in 1984-1985. She has also had parts in the movies Fatal Attraction, Cocktail, and Married to the Mob.
- Michael, Newark, DE