Welshrogue

Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Danny Trejo in one movie?? The word is AWESOME!

by the dashboard light. Yes, that old (1977) classic rock song by Meatloaf (real name, of course, Marvin Lee Aday) with additional vocals by Ellen Foley. Featuring on the 1977 release of Bat Out Of Hell, was written by Meatloaf’s main contributor and collaborator, Jim Steinman and produced by Todd Rundgren. It features a couple reminiscing on their first time, in a parked car, by a lake. Yes, not exactly an original idea but the way the song is constructed, it makes no difference.

The first part of the song has the couple describing sitting the in car and the feelings that were happening. It also contains one of the best lines in rock, “Cause we were barely seventeen, And we were barely dressed”. No matter your opinions on Mr Meat, that is one hell of a good lyric!

The second part begins just as the couple begin to get heated. A radio broadcast of a baseball game is heard. In a move that I would find it hard to believe could be done today, the baseball announcer really was a baseball announcer, Phil Rizzuto, who called games for the New York Yankees. Using the baseball metaphor for the progress of the boy, the player on the radio is about to steal home when……

Part three. The girl sings “Stop right there”, making the boy beg, plead and finally breaking down and professing his undying love for her before they can consummate their rendezvous. It is the classic power move from the girl who waits until the boy is in a powerless state and the girl holds all the cards. Most boys have experienced some sort of variance of this move! After trying his hardest to convince his date, he realizes that he might never get this chance again and caves, giving the girl what she wants before he gives the girl what he wants.

Part four consists of the boy regretting his decision years ago as it is revealed that despite his unhappiness, the boy will not break his promise and has stayed with the girl who he now cannot stand.

The pace of the song changes with each part and even the style is inconsistent but like other songs that change halfway through, (Band On The Run by Wings for example), it keeps the song listening experience fresh as every couple of minutes it changes. At 8:28 long, Paradise is a very long song but to fit 4 parts, it would have to be.

Paradise By The Dashboard Light is a perfect driving song. You feel the passion of the first part, making you think of your own parked car experiences. The second part builds the excitement of the first time. The third makes you realize how evil, unkind and manipulative women can be, if you have had any bad experiences, otherwise you just smile and think, yep, that’s about par for the course. The fourth and final part shows that not only is he regretting his choice, he is still a good person for keeping his promise, no matter how painful his situation is now.

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