This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
The sea is whipping the sky
The sky is whipping the sea
You can hide away forever from the storm
But you'll never hide away from me
The icy cold will cut us like a knife in the dark
And we may lose everything in the wind
But the Northern Lights are burning
And they're giving off sparks
I want to wrap myself around you like a winter skin
You know I'm onto your scent
We're near the end of the chase
Take a look out your window and I'll be there in the night
Your love is so close that I can almost taste it
The icy cold will cut us like a knife in the dark
And we may lose everything in the wind
But the Northern Lights are burning
And they're giving off sparks
I want to wrap myself around you like a winter skin
You've been living your life like a girl in a cage
And you whisper when I want you to shout
And I wonder why you wanna go on sleeping
When there's nothing left to dream about
But you better remember
If it's something I want then it's something I need
I wasn't built for comfort I was built for speed
If it's something I want then it's something I need
I wasn't built for comfort I was built for speed
And I know that I'm gonna be like this forever
I'm never gonna be what I should
And you think that I'll be bad for just a little while
But I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
Your eyes are darker than sin
And I've been watching them glow
Take a chance on a promise and a roll of the dice
Put your foot on the gas, let it go, let it go, let it go
You've been living your life like a girl in a cage
And you whisper when I want you to shout
And wonder why you wanna go on sleeping
When there's nothing left to dream about
But you better remember
If it's something I want then it's something I need
I wasn't built for comfort I was built for speed
If it's something I want then it's something I need
I wasn't built for comfort I was built for speed
And I know that I'm gonna be like this forever
I'm never gonna be what I should
And you think that I'll be bad for just a little while
And you think that I'll be bad for just a little while
And you think that I'll be bad for just a little while
But I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
Bad for good
Bad for good
For the good of some thrills on a long frigid night
For the good of the fire in your soul
For the good of the kiss let me hold you so tight
For the good of getting out of control
For the good of the action and a race in the dark
For the good of those chills up your spine
For the good of the rock and the roll in your heart
For the good of what's yours and what's mine
For the good of believing in a life after birth
For the good of your body so bright
For the good of the search for some heaven on earth
For the good of one hell of a night
For the good of one hell of a night
For the good of the action and a race in the dark
For the good of the fire in your soul
For the good of the rock and the roll in your heart
For the good of getting out of control
For the good of believing in a life after birth
For the good of your body so bright
For the good of the search for some heaven on earth
For the good of one hell of a night, for the good of one hell of a night
God speed!
God speed!
God speed! speed us away!
God speed!
God speed!
God speed! speed us away!
I'll be bad for good (God speed)
I'll be bad for good (God speed)
I'll be bad for good (God speed)
Speed us away, speed us away, speed us away, speed us away
The sea is whipping the sky
The sky is whipping the sea
You can hide away forever from the storm
But you'll never hide away from me
The icy cold will cut us like a knife in the dark
And we may lose everything in the wind
But the Northern Lights are burning
And they're giving off sparks
I want to wrap myself around you like a winter skin
I know that you can be bad
At least a little while
But if you give me a chance, give me one little chance
And give me all the love that you should
Then instead of being bad for just a little while
Then instead of being bad for just a little while
Then instead of being bad for just a little while
I'm gonna make you bad for good
I'm gonna make you bad for good
I'm gonna make you bad for good
I know that you'll be bad for good
You'll be bad for good
The sky is whipping the sea
You can hide away forever from the storm
But you'll never hide away from me
The icy cold will cut us like a knife in the dark
And we may lose everything in the wind
But the Northern Lights are burning
And they're giving off sparks
I want to wrap myself around you like a winter skin
You know I'm onto your scent
We're near the end of the chase
Take a look out your window and I'll be there in the night
Your love is so close that I can almost taste it
The icy cold will cut us like a knife in the dark
And we may lose everything in the wind
But the Northern Lights are burning
And they're giving off sparks
I want to wrap myself around you like a winter skin
You've been living your life like a girl in a cage
And you whisper when I want you to shout
And I wonder why you wanna go on sleeping
When there's nothing left to dream about
But you better remember
If it's something I want then it's something I need
I wasn't built for comfort I was built for speed
If it's something I want then it's something I need
I wasn't built for comfort I was built for speed
And I know that I'm gonna be like this forever
I'm never gonna be what I should
And you think that I'll be bad for just a little while
But I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
Your eyes are darker than sin
And I've been watching them glow
Take a chance on a promise and a roll of the dice
Put your foot on the gas, let it go, let it go, let it go
You've been living your life like a girl in a cage
And you whisper when I want you to shout
And wonder why you wanna go on sleeping
When there's nothing left to dream about
But you better remember
If it's something I want then it's something I need
I wasn't built for comfort I was built for speed
If it's something I want then it's something I need
I wasn't built for comfort I was built for speed
And I know that I'm gonna be like this forever
I'm never gonna be what I should
And you think that I'll be bad for just a little while
And you think that I'll be bad for just a little while
And you think that I'll be bad for just a little while
But I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
I know that I'll be bad for good
Bad for good
Bad for good
For the good of some thrills on a long frigid night
For the good of the fire in your soul
For the good of the kiss let me hold you so tight
For the good of getting out of control
For the good of the action and a race in the dark
For the good of those chills up your spine
For the good of the rock and the roll in your heart
For the good of what's yours and what's mine
For the good of believing in a life after birth
For the good of your body so bright
For the good of the search for some heaven on earth
For the good of one hell of a night
For the good of one hell of a night
For the good of the action and a race in the dark
For the good of the fire in your soul
For the good of the rock and the roll in your heart
For the good of getting out of control
For the good of believing in a life after birth
For the good of your body so bright
For the good of the search for some heaven on earth
For the good of one hell of a night, for the good of one hell of a night
God speed!
God speed!
God speed! speed us away!
God speed!
God speed!
God speed! speed us away!
I'll be bad for good (God speed)
I'll be bad for good (God speed)
I'll be bad for good (God speed)
Speed us away, speed us away, speed us away, speed us away
The sea is whipping the sky
The sky is whipping the sea
You can hide away forever from the storm
But you'll never hide away from me
The icy cold will cut us like a knife in the dark
And we may lose everything in the wind
But the Northern Lights are burning
And they're giving off sparks
I want to wrap myself around you like a winter skin
I know that you can be bad
At least a little while
But if you give me a chance, give me one little chance
And give me all the love that you should
Then instead of being bad for just a little while
Then instead of being bad for just a little while
Then instead of being bad for just a little while
I'm gonna make you bad for good
I'm gonna make you bad for good
I'm gonna make you bad for good
I know that you'll be bad for good
You'll be bad for good
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The provided lyrics are from Jim Steinman's own solo album, "Bad for Good". Meat Loaf's version on Bat III omits the "God speed!" phrases.
The song is pretty straightforward, an anti-conformist anthem, a common theme among Steinman's music. Whenever I hear or think of this song, it reminds me of a lyric from "Everything Louder Than Everything Else"
"Wasted youth is better by far Than a wise and productive old age"