About The Song
“Making Love Out of Nothing at All” is a power ballad written and composed by Jim Steinman and first released by the British/Australian soft rock duo Air Supply for their 1983 compilation album Greatest Hits. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks (behind “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, giving Steinman a consecutive peak of two songs). The song has been covered by other artists.
The song is a reworking of the main title theme from the 1980 film A Small Circle of Friends, for which Jim Steinman wrote the score. It was first recorded by Air Supply, giving them a number two hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. for three weeks.
The song was subsequently released as a new track from their 1983 greatest hits album. The B-side of the single is “Late Again”. They have included the song on their greatest hits and live albums, and recorded an acoustic version for their 2005 album The Singer and the Song.
Simultaneously, Steinman offered the song, along with “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, to Meat Loaf for his Midnight at the Lost and Found album; however, Meat Loaf’s record company refused to pay Steinman for the material so Meat Loaf ended up writing compositions for the album himself.
By 1983, Air Supply had changed much of its classic musician line-up, both in the recording studio and on tour. But Steinman, known for his lavish, rock-opera-ish type productions, used Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band members Roy Bittan on keyboards and Max Weinberg on drums, to musically underscore the recording with like energies. Rick Derringer, who was previously the guitarist for the McCoys and Johnny Winter, provided the electric guitar solo.
Video
Lyrics
I know just how to whisper
And I know just how to cry
I know just where to find the answers
And I know just how to lie
I know just how to fake it
And I know just how to scheme
I know just when to face the truth
And then I know just when to dream
And I know just where to touch you
And I know just what to prove
I know when to pull you closer
And I know when to let you loose
And I know the night is fading
And I know the time’s gonna fly
And I’m never gonna tell you everything I gotta tell you
But I know I gotta give it a try
And I know the roads to riches
And I know the ways to fame
I know all the rules and then I know how to break ’em
And I always know the name of the game
But I don’t know how to leave you
And I’ll never let you fall
And I don’t know how you do it
Making love out of nothing at all
Out of nothing at all
(Making love) Out of nothing at all
(Making love)
Out of nothing at all
(Making love) Out of nothing at all
(Making love) Out of nothing at all
(Making love) Out of nothing at all
Every time I see you all the rays of the sun are all
Streaming through the waves in your hair
And every star in the sky is taking aim at your eyes
Like a spotlight
The beating of my heart is a drum and it’s lost
And it’s looking for a rhythm like you
You can take the darkness from the pit of the night
And turn it to a beacon burning endlessly bright
I’ve gotta follow it ’cause everything I know
Well, it’s nothing ’til I give it to you
I can make the runner stumble
I can make the final block
I can make every tackle at the sound of the whistle
I can make all the stadiums rock
I can make tonight forever
Or I can make it disappear by the dawn
I can make you every promise that has ever been made
And I can make all your demons be gone
But I’m never gonna make it without you
Do you really wanna see me crawl
And I’m never gonna make it like you do
Making love out of nothing at all
Out of nothing at all
(Making love) Out of nothing at all
(Making love) Out of nothing at all
(Making love) Out of nothing at all
(Making love) Out of nothing at all
(Making love, love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love, love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love, love, love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love, love, love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
(Making love)
(Making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love)
Out of nothing at all (making love, love, love)
(Making love)
(Making love)