Take This Tune - The 1978 Version

For this week's Take This Tune, Jamie offered up Earth, Wind, & Fire's song September which made it to Number One on the US R&B Charts in 1978 ... the year that I turned 20 and got married for the first time to a fellow airman that I met while stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. I guess you could call him Mistake #1 but that's getting off topic for this post ...

Even though 1978 was known for mostly disco what with the Brothers Gibb holding the two top spots on the charts with Night Fever by the BeeGees sitting at number one and Shadow Dancing by younger brother Andy Gibb right on their heels in the number two spot, I wasn't really into disco. Sure I thought Andy Gibb was cute but what young girl in 1978 with blood flowing through her veins didn't?? Disco was music that was made for dancing but having been born with two left feet, dance floors were something I avoided at all costs so when all of my Air Force friends would go out to the disco, I'd stay in the barracks and listen to music by myself.

I have always loved music - all kinds of music - and will listen to just about anything as long as it's good. Not being able to sing has always been one of my biggest regrets in life but trust me on this one, me singing is probably worse than me dancing! Not that it stopped me from singing in church choir when I was younger nor does it currently stop me from belting out songs in the car - sometimes to the girls' great dismay - but if I could have asked God for one gift, a singing voice may very well have been at the top of the list. Alas, God chose to bless me with great beauty instead (chortle!).

Anyhow, that said, I was looking back through some of the other songs released in 1978 when I stumbled upon one of my favorite musicians and songs - a song that has always been very poignant and never failed to bring a tear or two to my eye. I'm an admittedly sentimental sap and this song just gets me right there ... you know the spot ...

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad - Meat Loaf

Baby we can talk all night
But that ain't getting us nowhere
I've told you everything I possibly can
There's nothing left inside of here

And maybe you can cry all night
But that'll never change the way that I feel
The snow is really piling up outside
I wish you wouldn't make me leave here

I poured it on and I poured it out
I tried to show you just how much I care
I'm tired of words and I'm too hoarse to shout
But you've been cold to me so long
I'm crying icicles instead of tears
And all I can do
Is keep on telling you

I want you
I need you
But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you
Now don't be sad
Cause 2 out of 3 ain't bad
Now don't be sad
Cause 2 out of 3 ain't bad

You'll never find your gold on a sandy beach
You'll never drill for oil on a city street
I know you're looking for a ruby in a mountain of rocks
But there aint no Coup de ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box

I can't lie
I can't tell you that i'm something I'm not
no matter how I try
I'll never be able to give you something
something that I just haven't got

Well there's only one girl that I will ever love
and that was so many years ago
And though I know I'll never get her out of my heart
She never loved me back, ooh I know
I remember how she left me on a stormy night
She kissed me and got out of our bed
And though I pleaded and I begged her not to walk out that door
She packed her bags and turned right away

And she kept on telling me
she kept on telling me
she kept on telling me
I want you
I need you
But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you
Now don't be sad
Cause 2 out of 3 ain't bad
I want you
I need you
But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you
Now don't be sad
Cause 2 out of 3 ain't bad
Now don't be sad
Cause 2 out of 3 ain't bad

Baby we can talk all night
But that ain't getting us nowhere

Been there - done that - have the broken heart ... and he's right, there ain't no Coup de Ville hiding at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box - no matter how many boxes you buy.