I Love You So I Told You A Lie

Album: Free For All (1976)
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Songfacts®:

  • This may be a Ted Nugent song, but it was written by his guitarist, Cliff Davies, and sung by Meat Loaf. Nugent's contribution is guitar.

    Nugent did most of the songwriting on his albums, but not all - his guitarist/vocalist Derek St. Holmes wrote "Hey Baby," a single from 1975 on the Ted Nugent album. St. Holmes did most of the singing on that album, but on the next one, Free For All, Meat Loaf sang on five of the tracks. At the time, he was known for his work in musical theater, notably The Rocky Horror Picture Show, later made into a movie where he reprised his role.

    Cliff Davies joined with Nugent in 1975 and was with him for the next several years, a wild ride when they were one of the top tour acts in America. Meat Loaf didn't go on the road with them, so "I Love You So I Told You A Lie" was never performed in concert.
  • In this song, Meat Loaf sings from the perspective of a man who values his freedom so much, he's willing to let a good woman go in order to keep it. "A family life and a lovin' wife just ain't my kinda scene."

    But on those cold, lonely nights, he's forced to reconsider. He tells himself he broke it off to protect her, but maybe he was just being selfish.

    It's the kind of story song Nugent wouldn't write but Meat Loaf would become famous for singing. His later hits, written by Jim Steinman, often told tales of rather intense love affairs.

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