[LucyK!]

That doesn't sound good, get well soon Mr Loaf

This is from the News page on the Q site which is being updated through the day:


Steinman says Bat reflects his philosophy
Bat Out Of Hell‘s writer Jim Steinman said today that the song was “a perfect reflection of my creed”.

The legendary composer – who wrote the song for the album of the same name – said he created the track to be “the ultimate crash song”, “operatic annihilation” and a little piece of "Wagner".

After hearing the track was named Classic Song at today’s Q Awards, he said: “In the interest of being pompous, profound, and pretentious all at the same time, as well as being self-deprecating, even self-lacerating, and brilliant simultaneously, I can truly say that BAT OUT OF HELL is a perfect reflection of my creed: ‘If you don’t go over the top, you’ll never see what’s on the other side”.

“’Bat’ was a complete song after two choruses, at six-plus minutes long. But I thought it was too short - no, incomplete. It needed more! So I toiled away and came up with the final third of the song, starting at: “I can see myself, tearing up the road, FASTER, than any other boy has ever gone……” - and this evolved into the whole CRASH sequence, ending with “the last thing I see is my heart/still beating/still beating/breaking out of my body and flying away ……. Like a BAT OUT OF HELL!”

“Then it was complete. It had been a great driving-racing-speed anthem, plus a suitably obsessive love story, but now it was what I wanted all along: THE ULTIMATE CRASH SONG!! SELF-DESTRUCTION! OPERATIC ANNIHILATION!!!!!!
A LOVE DEATH!!!!! LITTLE RICHARD WAGNER!!!!

“Thus, if I hadn't gone OVER THE TOP, I NEVER WOULD HAVE SEEN WHAT’S ON THE OTHER SIDE. Which I really loved. And which, to this f***ing day, I still love. END OF STORY; AND THANK YOU, Q & MEAT. (That sounds like a distant relative of Spotted Dick: Q & MEAT!)”