"Kenny"

Wario · 14 Dec 2007, 00:06

Did Meat really have a Best friend named Kenny that died in a plan crash as stated in Objects?

or is it symbolizing the loss of his mom in objects?

i have always wondered that and no mention of kenny is in to hell and back.

MeatGrl1 · 14 Dec 2007, 00:13

Not that I'm aware of.
But he did have a violent father after he had one too many to drink and that's why the song is personal for him I think but the Best Friend Kenny is fictionus (Is that even a word.. It is now LOL) to tie in with the song.

Lord Kagan · 14 Dec 2007, 01:03

seeing as jim wrote it, maybe "kenny" is based on one of jims childhood friends???

samurai7 · 14 Dec 2007, 02:11

and seeing as the song is about a car crash...

(the video features a plane crash, but the song itself doesn't)

Blackkat13 · 14 Dec 2007, 04:04

I often wondered the same thing myself bout who kenny was or he could just be a character in the song.

**Monstro** · 14 Dec 2007, 09:30

"Oh no, they killed Kenny!!!"

**RadioMaster** · 14 Dec 2007, 09:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monstro

"Oh no, they killed Kenny!!!"

exactly my thought! lol

L96 · 14 Dec 2007, 10:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeatGrl1

I think but the Best Friend Kenny is fictionus (Is that even a word.. It is now LOL) to tie in with the song.

"Fictitious" is the word you're after.

MeatGrl1 · 14 Dec 2007, 15:01

Thanks

.

mszee · 14 Dec 2007, 16:08

Good point about song being Steinman's, therefore, Kenny may not have been connected to Meat at all. As I ran in my mind through the names to rhyme, it seems like some other names could have been used so it appears to be that Kenny might have been chosen on purpose.

Seeing the times when Meat and Jim were growing up and were young men, I always said and always will again and again that, as far as I am concerned, "Kenny" is an embodiment of those who died young during the wars - remember when Meat and Jim were born, WWII just ended, Korean war came decade later and two decades later there was Vietnam war. There was a lot of bitterness among young American people about Vietnam war after a while...so I am pretty sure the reference in the song is about Vietnam war. An American just reads it between the lines without thinking for a moment about car crash or any other crash. Another confirmation is plane crash. This to me actually looks like one of those fighter planes.

And then again...I do not insist on forcing my opinion on anybody cause you never know...

Hypnobabe · 15 Dec 2007, 00:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszee

As I ran in my mind through the names to rhyme, it seems like some other names could have been used so it appears to be that Kenny might have been chosen on purpose.

But if he'd used the name Bobby (or Billy or Tommy or Brian or any other name) we could be having the same conversation - it may have just been a random name picked out of the air because it scanned properly...

Oh, and ditto on the personal opinion thing before Jim's biggest fan comes along and corrects me... lol...

**RadioMaster** · 15 Dec 2007, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hypnobabe

But if he'd used the name Bobby (or Billy or Tommy or Brian or any other name) we could be having the same conversation - it may have just been a random name picked out of the air because it scanned properly...

totally agree

Sapphire Lady · 15 Dec 2007, 20:02

I don't think Jim would have chosen the name Kenny totally at random - that's just not his style. His lyrics are all very carefully written and put together. I reckon Kenny was someone Jim knew and that's why he picked that name. The names we like tend to be the names of people we like as we can relate to them.

Could it maybe even be after Ken Russell who directed Pandora's Box video for "It's All Coming Back to Me"?

Wario · 15 Dec 2007, 23:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sapphire Lady

Could it maybe even be after Ken Russell who directed Pandora's Box video for "It's All Coming Back to Me"?

Now thats thinking out of the "box"

WhenItComes2LovingU · 19 Dec 2007, 22:27

In the "Dead Ringer" album, there is a single small notation:

"To the memory of Kenney Robb, a friend and a real front-line warrior"

The spelling is different, but it fits the video and it fits the lyric. Add to this mystery the fact that Steinman still uses "Kenny" as a character, as in his recent monologue "Dear Mama (Tomorrow We Learn to Die)," performed at the OTT/TDE concerts of 2006.

ETA: I wanted to add the monologue just to show this, and yes, it's not that new, but even so, a crappy copy-and-paste job, it is touching. Kudos to EvilNickname's site for this:

Quote:

Dear Mama,

The entire country is burning. You can see the flames like the inside of a mad jukebox. Lost children wander the streets, their heads rocking with dream lightning. Motorcycles reproduce in nocturnal alleys, groaning with greasy pleasure. And they've blown up the YWCA like a giant balloon, full of screaming, lovely, lonely girls.

And my best friend Kenny - you remember him, Mama, from Maple Drive, you know - he's been here a year. Yesterday he stepped on a mine and wasn't hurt. It's a miracle. But twelve hours later, he held his chest and he looked at me, and he said he felt a fluttering, which made him think of the birth of angels. Then a sudden awareness and a thrashing of wings. Then he was dead.

I cried a long time, Mama. I'm afraid of angels being born every minute. And Mama, tomorrow, we learn to die. And all around the world, it doesn't matter where we're going or whatever we do, 'cause we got one thing in common, it's true: we'll never let a night like tonight go to waste. And let me tell you something, neither will you. Neither will you.

Sapphire Lady · 20 Dec 2007, 09:55

Wow that's very interesting. Well spotted

Pudding · 02 Jan 2008, 06:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhenItComes2LovingU

In the "Dead Ringer" album, there is a single small notation:

"To the memory of Kenney Robb, a friend and a real front-line warrior"

There's also reference to a Kenny Robb on Cool & The Gangs 1981 Something Special LP and in memorium to Kenny Robb Click -----> HERE

So I'm taking a wild stab in the dark here and saying Kenny Robb had something to do with the music industry, like THIS guy.

Pud

**RadioMaster** · 02 Jan 2008, 09:30

didnt expect you to be a cool and the gang fan

**Monstro** · 02 Jan 2008, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadioMaster

didnt expect you to be a cool and the gang fan

Or to know how to use Google?

**RadioMaster** · 02 Jan 2008, 09:40

google is overrrated

evil nickname · 02 Jan 2008, 13:05

After seeing the credits for the previous Cool & The Gang album, I'd guess that Kenny Robb was most probably an engineer at the House of Music studios, where Dead Ringer was (partially) recorded.

**Ankie** · 02 Jan 2008, 14:17

But no online article found by either one of you that gives a clue wether this Kenny is the Kenny referred to in the song?

Like how old he was when he died; or a cause of death?

evil nickname · 02 Jan 2008, 15:55

I couldn't find anything.

**RadioMaster** · 02 Jan 2008, 16:41

to the main topic:
I dont think Steinman would use an actual person he dealt with in his life for a song or a lyric. He's always talking about "creating worlds" with a song and going "over the top", its not his style to write a song (or lyrics) "from his heart"
Closest we could get was the first mentioned, Kenny as a friend of Meat Loaf who died, but I'd say that's unlikely, as he wouldve mentioned it somewhere in an interview or his book, etc. Just look how often he talked (talks) about the second verse of the song. I dont think hed keep that to himself.

Pudding · 03 Jan 2008, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadioMaster

its not his style to write a song (or lyrics) "from his heart"

How do you know? I think there's plenty of songs that Jim has added personal lyrics to and Objects is no different. Wasn't Bat2 put on hold for nearly 12 months because Jim wanted to get Objects just right? Obviously the song meant something to him.

Pud

14 Dec 2007, 00:06	#1
Wario Monstro helps me spell things... Join Date: 05.01.2007 Location: Masculine, Pennsylvania Posts: 9,105	"Kenny" Did Meat really have a Best friend named Kenny that died in a plan crash as stated in Objects? or is it symbolizing the loss of his mom in objects? i have always wondered that and no mention of kenny is in to hell and back.

14 Dec 2007, 00:13	#2
MeatGrl1 No Day But Today Join Date: 29.05.2006 Location: Sitting on the steps outside looking so restless and reckless and lost! Posts: 9,089	Not that I'm aware of. But he did have a violent father after he had one too many to drink and that's why the song is personal for him I think but the Best Friend Kenny is fictionus (Is that even a word.. It is now LOL) to tie in with the song.

14 Dec 2007, 01:03	#3
Lord Kagan On the other hand, You have different fingers Join Date: 17.05.2006 Location: Belfast Posts: 8,833	seeing as jim wrote it, maybe "kenny" is based on one of jims childhood friends???

14 Dec 2007, 02:11	#4
samurai7 Rock Star Join Date: 09.05.2005 Location: The future... Posts: 2,928	and seeing as the song is about a car crash... (the video features a plane crash, but the song itself doesn't)

14 Dec 2007, 04:04	#5
Blackkat13 Mega Loafer Join Date: 30.07.2006 Location: Hell, Michigan Posts: 1,989	I often wondered the same thing myself bout who kenny was or he could just be a character in the song.

14 Dec 2007, 09:30	#6
Monstro Promoted to Wario's spellchecker Join Date: 17.09.2005 Location: London Posts: 12,947	"Oh no, they killed Kenny!!!"

14 Dec 2007, 15:01	#9
MeatGrl1 No Day But Today Join Date: 29.05.2006 Location: Sitting on the steps outside looking so restless and reckless and lost! Posts: 9,089	Thanks .

14 Dec 2007, 16:08	#10
mszee Mega Loafer Join Date: 28.03.2006 Location: And you think you're down under??? Posts: 26,252	Good point about song being Steinman's, therefore, Kenny may not have been connected to Meat at all. As I ran in my mind through the names to rhyme, it seems like some other names could have been used so it appears to be that Kenny might have been chosen on purpose. Seeing the times when Meat and Jim were growing up and were young men, I always said and always will again and again that, as far as I am concerned, "Kenny" is an embodiment of those who died young during the wars - remember when Meat and Jim were born, WWII just ended, Korean war came decade later and two decades later there was Vietnam war. There was a lot of bitterness among young American people about Vietnam war after a while...so I am pretty sure the reference in the song is about Vietnam war. An American just reads it between the lines without thinking for a moment about car crash or any other crash. Another confirmation is plane crash. This to me actually looks like one of those fighter planes. And then again...I do not insist on forcing my opinion on anybody cause you never know...

15 Dec 2007, 20:02	#13
Sapphire Lady Mega Loafer Join Date: 21.04.2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,213	I don't think Jim would have chosen the name Kenny totally at random - that's just not his style. His lyrics are all very carefully written and put together. I reckon Kenny was someone Jim knew and that's why he picked that name. The names we like tend to be the names of people we like as we can relate to them. Could it maybe even be after Ken Russell who directed Pandora's Box video for "It's All Coming Back to Me"?

20 Dec 2007, 09:55	#16
Sapphire Lady Mega Loafer Join Date: 21.04.2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,213	Wow that's very interesting. Well spotted

02 Jan 2008, 09:30	#18
RadioMaster The German Join Date: 11.03.2006 Location: some kind of hunting lodge for rich weirdos... Posts: 15,778	didnt expect you to be a cool and the gang fan

02 Jan 2008, 09:40	#20
RadioMaster The German Join Date: 11.03.2006 Location: some kind of hunting lodge for rich weirdos... Posts: 15,778	google is overrrated

02 Jan 2008, 13:05	#21
evil nickname Guest Join Date: 19.04.2003 Posts: 2,238	After seeing the credits for the previous Cool & The Gang album, I'd guess that Kenny Robb was most probably an engineer at the House of Music studios, where Dead Ringer was (partially) recorded.

02 Jan 2008, 14:17	#22
Ankie Office manager Join Date: 25.04.2002 Posts: 1,883	But no online article found by either one of you that gives a clue wether this Kenny is the Kenny referred to in the song? Like how old he was when he died; or a cause of death?

02 Jan 2008, 15:55	#23
evil nickname Guest Join Date: 19.04.2003 Posts: 2,238	I couldn't find anything.

02 Jan 2008, 16:41	#24
RadioMaster The German Join Date: 11.03.2006 Location: some kind of hunting lodge for rich weirdos... Posts: 15,778	to the main topic: I dont think Steinman would use an actual person he dealt with in his life for a song or a lyric. He's always talking about "creating worlds" with a song and going "over the top", its not his style to write a song (or lyrics) "from his heart" Closest we could get was the first mentioned, Kenny as a friend of Meat Loaf who died, but I'd say that's unlikely, as he wouldve mentioned it somewhere in an interview or his book, etc. Just look how often he talked (talks) about the second verse of the song. I dont think hed keep that to himself.