Did Meat Loaf actually coin the phrase (actually the song wasn’t written by him so it would have been Steinman that coined it I suppose) that has become somewhat of a cliche these days, or did he just borrow it for his song and use it cleverly? I could believe either really, but can’t seem to find any answer online.
Anyone alive during the pre-Loaf days ever say “Two out of three ain’t bad”? Or even something close?
Here are three cites of that phrase from pre-1970 "two out of three ain" - Google Search (one of the cites seems to be mis-dated though, since it refers to the movie “The Full Monty”)
Sadly, while he briefly made being 250 lbs seem sexy, no, he was not the first to utter this phrase. There were already bats out of hell before him, too. The term paradise by the dashboard light, however, may have been him & Steinman, I’m not certain.
I knew the phrase growing up in New England in the 1950’s-1960’s. It meant getting most of what you wanted should be acceptable.
Well, Red Skelton did a joke in his stand-up comedy once, back in the 1960’s or so. Don’t remember exactly how it went, but something along these lines:
He complained that he argued with his wife, who threatened to cut off both of his arms, both of his legs, and his head. Five out of six ain’t bad!
Haha wow that was fast! Thanks guys for confirming that he did NOT coin the phrase. I just remember the first time I heard the phrase I asked about it and my parents said it was a Meat Loaf song. So that’s why I thought it might have been him.
Paradise by the dashboard light has not similarly made it into common American vernacular, I’m afraid.
Jim Steinman has written a number of songs based on common expressions:
Out Of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire
Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are (play on objects in rear view mirror are closer than they appear)
Bat Out of Hell
You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth
All Revved Up With No Place to Go (play on all dressed up with no place to go)
Read 'em and Weep
Moved to Cafe Society.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator