MEAT LOAF - ROCK AND ROLL DREAMS COME THROUGH

Released: January 1994

Charts:  US: #13    UK: #11 

“Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through” is a song written by Jim Steinman and originally featured on his 1981 solo album “Bad for Good”, with Rory Dodd providing lead vocals. Meat Loaf later recorded the song for his 1993 album “Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell”, releasing it as the third single in 1994. 

“Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through” showcases Jim Steinman’s theatrical style and highlights his enduring collaboration with Meat Loaf. The song celebrates the healing power of music, particularly rock and roll, as a source of comfort during times of loneliness and despair. It portrays music as a “gift of the gods,” with the drums symbolizing the heartbeat of life.

“Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through,” along with the rest of the “Bad for Good” album, was originally intended for Meat Loaf. However, due to a combination of mental and physical issues, Meat Loaf was unable to record his vocals. With the tracks already laid down using many of the same musicians and studios from “Bat Out of Hell”, Jim Steinman decided to take on the vocals himself for most of the album. For this track, however, he enlisted Rory Dodd, a Canadian singer known for his backing vocals on “Bat Out of Hell” and his iconic “turn around, bright eyes” line on “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

The music video directed by Michael Bay, features Meat Loaf as a fortuneteller who helps guide lost and troubled individuals. An 18-year-old Angelina Jolie portrays a runaway teenager who seeks solace and ultimately reunites with her family by the video’s end. Meat Loaf’s character also intervenes to protect a young boy from joining a gang and provides comfort to others experiencing loneliness and despair.