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Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"
Two out of Three Ain't Bad by Meat Loaf US vinyl.jpg
Side-A label of U.S. 7-inch vinyl single
Single by Meat Loaf
from the album Bat Out of Hell
B-side "For Crying Out Loud"
Released July 31, 1977
Format 7"
Length 5:27 (LP version)
3:58 (7" version)
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Jim Steinman
Producer(s) Todd Rundgren
Meat Loaf singles chronology
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"
(1977)
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"
(1977)
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light"
(1977)
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"
(1977)
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"
(1977)
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light"
(1977)

"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" is a love song performed 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 and earned a million-selling Gold single from the RIAA. It stands as one of his career signature tunes, still enjoying recurrent airplay.

It was the final song written for the album. In a 2003 interview for the VH1 Ultimate 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."

A music video was shot for the single and received significant airplay on television video programs of that day, a number of years before the conception of MTV.


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