Long ago and far away... [Archive]

TheSaint

30 Mar 2002, 02:26

Hi dudes,

i have heard a song of Meat Loaf with this passage in it: " It was long ago, and it was far away, and it was so much better than it is today"
I know that in the end of his song called " Paradise by the Dashboard light" there is a short part with this lyric, but it was a whole song, if i am not mistaken.

I would be very happy if anybody could tell me the name of the song.

Thnx for now, TheSaint

vinklestein

30 Mar 2002, 04:38

Hi Saint

Yes , that passage was used in Paridise , and
the bridge to "Objects in The Rear View Mirror" is similiar : It was long ago , it was far away , oh god it seems so very far.
The song was a Top 40 hit for Meat , maybe
thats what your thinking of. Jim does use
the same passages in many songs and dialogues. For instance , the first line of
"Paridise" was also used in the Wasted Youth
speech "I remember every little thing as if
it happened only yesturday" , not that it's
a bad thing , it is a very unique writing skill that Jim Steinman uses .

LucyK!

30 Mar 2002, 11:18

Wow Saint - I didn't notice that! The one that annoyed me for weeks was in A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste, there's a line that goes "and we'll never be as young as we are right now" and I knew it was in another song and I couldn't remember which one, turned out to be Lost Boys And Golden Girls

TheSaint

30 Mar 2002, 16:38

Yes, right, but i am thinking of a whole song with the refrain(?) like "it was long ago and it was far away...) .Perhaps i was just imagining that it was a song, and it was only the end of "Paradise...".
Thnx anyway, and keep looking ./icons/icon12.gif

Greets TheSaint

tukayaway

30 Mar 2002, 20:45

Here's another double:
Tyre tracks and broken hearts,
That's all we're leaving behind
More recently found on A Kiss Is A Terrible To Waste but originally on Peel Out.

Chris

31 Mar 2002, 18:40

"It was long ago and it was far away,
Oh God, It seems so very far.
And if life is just a highway,
then the soul is just a car."

It's the link in "Objects in the rear view mirror may appear closer than they are." It joins every verse onto the chorus.

Chris

PS. We had a customer in the newsagents I work at a couple of days ago with this line in a quiz. She was most impressed that I knew it!

31 Mar 2002, 23:02

tyre tracks and broken hearts
that's all we're leaving behind
is also on the ever so cool (and so reminiscent of meat!) bonnie tyler's tyre tracks and broken hearts - of course from mr steinman's musical whistle down the wind - which i'm going to see soon YAY!!!!!

Steve

01 Apr 2002, 18:57

Another example of Jim's recycling involves collaboration with another writer - Lloyd Webber in Whistle Down The Wind: the line "T(i/y)re tracks and broken hearts" is reprised throughout various parts of both libretto and score.

A very good literary trick and emphasises the words following the passage through recognition.

Jim is in lofty literary and poetic company here!

Twan

02 Apr 2002, 20:56

I think that's why "Objects in the rear view mirror..." is one of the greatest songs of Meat Loaf. And of course the end, in which this metaphor returns and makes a apotheose: "I can see her rising up out of the back-seat now, just like an angel rising up from a tomb!"

Timewarp.nl

03 Apr 2002, 20:48

Hi
Jim Steinman is one big recycle center.
If he writes a new song he takes a bunch of his old ones and takes al little bit of this and a little bit of that and voila a brand new song.
The sport is to recognize in his "new" songs the old stuf.
For further info read Meat's autobio.
By the way is there a (auto)bio of Jim?
bye,
timewarp.nl
http://www.rockyhorror.nl

Michel

07 Apr 2002, 21:06

Not only the lyrics, also things in the music. For example. Listen to Nowhere Fast and Everything Louder Than Everything Else.

Rob The Badger

14 Apr 2002, 10:21

The line "We're on the edge of forever and we're never gonna fail" is on Surf's Up, and
I'm sure it was on another song, I just can't remember which one.

Chris

15 Apr 2002, 23:45

Thinking on my feet here but isn't it from either Bad for Good or possibly Peel Out.

I could be totally worng and probably am but hey, I was at work at 5:30AM and have been up ever since!!!

Chris

Timewarp.nl

16 Apr 2002, 13:32

hi guys,
here is another one:
the intro of holding out for a hero by Bonnie Tyler and the intro of Stark raving love of Jimmy are almost the same.

http://www.rockyhorror.nl

tukayaway

16 Apr 2002, 20:10

Well, BOOH2 is mostly recycled. Only I Would Do Anthing For Love, Life Is A Lemon and Objects In The Rear View Mirror are totally original. The othr's are either off Bad For Good or Original Sin by Pandora's Box.

And obviously Original Sin and Left In The Dark appear on Welcome to the Neighborhood.

vinklestein

17 Apr 2002, 00:30

Actually , on the Bonnie Tyler record
"Speed Of Night" , the song "So Excited" features a seductive male dialogue spoken by Jim which is "Id Do Anything For Love But I WOnt Do That"

Rob The Badger

27 Apr 2002, 22:40

Very few songwriters use this technique. I certainly don't. Clever nonetheless, then a song is isntantly recognisable as the work of that particular writer. I should do that.

29 Apr 2002, 22:20

also - jim is obsessed with dashboard lights! other than the obvious the theme was in at least 2 songs in whistle down the wind (which i went to see on fri yay!!)

s

Peat Loaf

12 Apr 2003, 03:45

Saint did you notice that the car in Objects video was a Chevie also out of Paradise the 2 songs are inter twined clever or what ?? :)

Tim

12 Apr 2003, 13:54

is that true Peat Loaf??? That's funny!!

I will go and look for it!!

Bart

13 Apr 2003, 22:54

So, if i understand correctly, the songs are about the same girl?

Peat Loaf

13 Apr 2003, 22:59

Well You'll have to aske Meat that but thertes a lot of inuendoes the i think any way 8)