There were a few songs I used to bounce around to as a kid with a tape deck radio in an 8x10' room. Classic Madonna hits like Like a Virgin, Like a Prayer, La Isla Bonita. Bon Jovi's (my third and perpetual fiancee) Young Guns - I wore out Shot Through the Heart rewinding and replaying. Whitney Houston's rendition of I Will Always Love You. All of Weird Al's tapes into the 90's. And Meat Loaf.
I would do anything for love was one of my top favourite songs as a kid. I always sang along to both parts.
Later, I'd see him in what would become one of my alltime top favourite films; Fight Club. His name is Robert Paulson. His name is Robert Paulson. The martyr of Project Mayhem. Victim to the consequence of anarchy. This was the beginning of my self-discovery as a complex personality. We're all complex, really, but this movie was my first glance into figuring it out for myself.
Then, as a teen, and as always, pretty late to the game, I started going to Rocky Horror showings. There was Eddie, every time. A bit part, but significant. This was the beginning of my journey into making my weirdness fearless. I spent time and developed friendships with people who were openly themselves in public, and I learned to embrace that lifestyle, to the chagrin of my family.
Cut to a few years later, one of my best friends is a bigger fan of his music. She played full albums, and I became familiarized with epic song stories - most of which written by Jim Steinman, but brought to life by nobody but Meat Loaf. Of course, Steinman had other incredible hits that were brought to life by other musicians, like Total Eclipse of the Heart sung by Bonnie Tyler (no longer welcome on any film set. IYKYK) and It's All Coming Back to me Now, sung by Celine Dion.
This instilled in me a sense of storytelling in art. Before I started painting, I sincerely thought about being a songwriter. Songwriting hasn't panned out thusfar, but storytelling has made its way into my painting. And obviously my writing.
It's an eternal shame that Meat Loaf ended up using his platform to espouse anti-science, anti-vaccination rhetoric to his audience in these final years of his life. Even so, I'm sad to hear of his passing. He's been part of several pivotal stages in my life, and I hope he rests knowing his art endures. RIP Meat Loaf.