Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
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| “Two Out of Three Ain't Bad” | |||||
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| Single by Meat Loaf from the album Bat out of Hell |
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| Released | 1977 | ||||
| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | 1977 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 5:27 | ||||
| Label | Epic Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Jim Steinman | ||||
| Producer | Todd Rundgren | ||||
| Meat Loaf singles chronology | |||||
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"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" is the second hit single by the American musician Meat Loaf in his solo career, preceded by "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" and followed by "Paradise By the Dashboard Light". It is a track off his 1977 album Bat out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman. It reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of his highest-charting U.S. releases.
It was the final song written for the album. In a 2000 interview for the Classic Albums series, Steinman recalls:
:"I remember Mimi Kennedy, a cast member of Jim's then-current musical Rhinegold] telling me, she said, you know, when I was probably complaining why no one liked my stuff and couldn't get a deal, she says, "Well Steiny, your stuff is so complicated. Can't you write something simple?" And while she was saying that the oldies station was on the radio and it was playing that old Elvis song, 'I Want You, I Need,' whatever it was. 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You', you know. I just started singing my own song but it was 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.' She said, "Why don't you write something simple like that, 'I want you, I need you, I love you'?" I said, "Well I'll try." I don't try to make them complicated. I remember going home and I tried so hard but the best I could do was: I want you, I need you but there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you, don't be sad, 'cause two out of three ain't bad. So it was still a twist but it was my closest to a simple song, and one Elvis could have done."
[edit] Explanation of the title
The title is explained in the chorus:
I want you
I need you
But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you
Now don't be sad
'Cause two out of three ain't bad
Meat Loaf's character in the song wants and needs the person being sung to, but he does not love her.
[edit] Video
The video mainly featured Meat Loaf singing, with Jim at the piano. The video has a continuity error: in some shots Meat Loaf has his red scarf, in others he hasn't.
[edit] Subsequent versions
It was later covered by Bonnie Tyler, produced by Steinman and his partner Steven Rinkoff, on her 1996 Free Spirit album, and her version reached the top 10 in UK airplay charts.
Country music singer Julian Austin performed a cover for his debut album What My Heart Already Knows.
