abuse he suffered at the hands of his drunken father, and he has written of the time his father even tried to kill him with a knife. To me, and others, it sounded spookily similar to aspects of... 'Objects'". Meat Loaf soundly refuted the proposition: "No, not a prayer, I wouldn't allow it. ... That's like if an artist painted a picture of a place he'd never seen before that he couldn't bring any truth to that because he has no point of reference--no, he does have a point of reference, his truth is the point of reference is and that's what the point of reference is. That's what any kind of artistic endeavour should have, is always finding the truth." Allmusic says "the music takes the concept of a power ballad to epic heights: the verses build from somber softness to piercing heights of drama before giving way to a chorus that releases the tension with a meditative melodic figure that underlines the hypnotically-repeated title in a soothing fashion." Music journalist Mick Wall labels the track "perhaps the most sober and reflective song Steinman has ever written." Wall comments how the song begins about two best friends who lose each other tragically. The first verse is set in summer, when "the skies were pure and the fields were green." The vocalist describes his close friendship with his best friend, who dies prematurely in a crash. Although Kenny has died, the vocalist reveals how his memory lives on: Each verse concludes by declaring that the preceding events "were long ago and ... far away", a line which Mick Wall says summons "up the lost spirit of 1977, echoing "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", the vocal melody a tip of the hat to "Surf's Up". The second verse is darker in tone. The season is winter, when "dreams would freeze," and the sun has "descended." The lyrics document a physically abusive "dangerous and drunk" father, reflecting Meat Loaf's real life youth. Like the first verse, the memories of the past still affect the present. Again, the title is repeated several times, softly at first, building into a more dramatic intensity. Allmusic says it starts "with gentle piano and synthesizer licks that are built up with power chords to enhance their drama and weaving stirring, choir-styled backing vocals into the chorus that keep its repetition fresh by giving it new layers." An