Challenge,  Recommended Reading

Jim Steinman

Died Today at 73….

Way too young.

I just spent some hours tonight watching some work by one of the greatest writers who ever lived. Jim Steinman.

He wrote on Broadway and in movies and just about everywhere, and maybe wrote some of the best songs in our lives. You can look up the thousands he wrote and I bet you will go “He wrote that! I didn’t know that!” for half of them.

But my favorite writing of his was always the work he did with Meat Loaf, including the two Bat out of Hell albums.

My all-time favorite Jim Steinman song is “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”. This performance is my favorite performance by Meatloaf of the song.

 

My second all-time favorite Steinman song was also a Meat Loaf song called “Objects in the Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Look.”  This one has a stunningly powerful message to old farts like me. Here is the music video. An amazing story in song.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jPMv9zJ1LE

 

Songwriter hall of fame and maybe one of the best storytellers we had across the board. People are dying too much these days. Never met him, but damn I hate the fact that he is gone. Enjoy those two videos and then take note of maybe some of your favorite songs as to who wrote them. Might have been Jim Steinman.

6 Comments

  • Mary Jo Rabe

    Jim Steinman has been my favorite and most admired poet ever since the first time I heard the songs on the “Bat Out of Hell” album. Jim Steinman performed magic with language.

  • Peggy

    Well, damn.

    Guess I’ll be listening to “Bat out of Hell” on the drive in to work. And then searching for a complete list of his work – if that’s even possible.

    Heaven just got a little livelier. Requiescat in pace, Jim, and best wishes to those he left behind.

  • Cynthia Lee

    In my youth, I was a big fan of the two songs he contributed to the movie Streets of Fire.

    In recent times, I have been known to sing the hell out of those songs while driving.

  • Sam

    I loved his work! I especially liked Objects in the Rear View Mirror.

    That’s always been one of my favorite songs and you’re the only person I’ve ever met that talks so highly about it!

    He was very prolific. Talk about leaving your mark on the world!