Meatloaf

I love me a good meatloaf…a bit burnt on the outside, nice and firm inside. Ketchup top with a side of string beans and mashed potatoes. Yum. A blast from the past…but I am writing about a different blast from the past…Meatloaf the man.

Bat Out of Hell which sounds more like bad atta hell in my head, was one of my first record purchases. A trip to Korvette’s was always a treat…having enough saved money to buy an album instead of 45s was heaven. Flipping through the stacks, that indescribable smell, music of the moment playing…hoping mom would take an extra long time to do her shopping or returns. Somehow she was always back in a blink. Come on Kit Kat, pay and let’s go. Smoothing out my wrinkled dollar bills, counting my change, being handed the coveted brown paper bag with ragged edges. Once in the car…plastic wrap off, liner notes out, and the studying began. Home. Help mom unload the car and run up the stairs. Slamming my door to listen to the album while hanging off the bed, switching between lyric memorization and watching the record spin. Again, and again, and again. New records…so shiny and black, scratch-free and pure. Musical mishaps. Remember the sound of the first scratch on a pristine record, zippppp, ugg, it hurts my ears…or the sound of a cassette tape being eaten by the machine of choice, makes my stomach drop. Things my kids will never experience.

Before kids we attended a lot of weddings, hotel overnights, grown-up cocktails galore, dancing…celebrating beautiful couples. Love Shack forever in my mind as a moment from our wedding…dancing hard, bouncing, my dress so so very heavy, not a care in the world. Joy. Meatloaf…I think of my sister-in-law’s beautiful church wedding and reception in the heart of the country…and loved ones ages 5-70 dancing and singing Paradise by the Dashboard Light at the top of their lungs.

I started swearing to my god and on my mother’s grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore that I would love you to the end of time!
So now I’m praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
‘Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don’t think that I can really survive

Watching the bride twirling and experiencing pure contentment…perfection. Wondering, hmmm, is this an appropriate song for a wedding…then getting out of my head to enjoy the moment, because in my heart I knew….they really would love each other to the end of time.

Meatloaf…may you rest in peace. I adore your music to this day. Thank you for sharing your talent, I am eternally grateful to you for supplying me with a forever moment.