"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.[3]

"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	"For Crying Out Loud" "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" (1978 reissue)
Released	October 1977 (US) 24 March 1978 (UK) [1]
Recorded	1976
Genre	Rock[2]
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
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" (1977) "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" (1978)
Music video
Video on YouTube

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]

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 and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (1977) Peak position US Cash Box Top 100[8] 97 US Record World Singles Chart[8] 73 Chart (1978–79) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 3 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 4 Canada RPM Top Singles[11] 31 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[12] 3 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[13] 4 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[14] 2 UK Singles (OCC)[15] 33 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 39 US Cash Box Top 100[8] 42 US Record World Singles Chart[8] 49 West Germany (Official German Charts)[17] 22

Year-end charts Chart (1979) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[18] 9 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[19] 52 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[20] 52 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 21 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[22] 4 US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)[23] 223 Certifications Certifications for You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[24] Platinum 70,000 United Kingdom (BPI)[25] Silver 200,000 Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References