The third song on Bat out of Hell is its softest and sweetest moment, a gently sung ballad backed by piano and strings. The bombast that so defines Steinman’s work is all gone, not just sonically but (at least on the surface) lyrically as well. The melody is a relatively simple, flowing movement almost entirely…

Jim Steinman’s voice opens the second track of Bat out of Hell with his legendary question: “On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?” It’s a question with clear innuendo that includes one of the most common fantastical sexual tropes: The Big Bad Wolf who is…