Meat Loaf: I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) Meaning

Song Released: 1993

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I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) Lyrics

And I would do anything for love, I’d run right into hell and back
I would do anything for love, I’ll never lie to you and that’s a fact
But I’ll never forget the way you feel right now, oh no, no way
And I would do anything for love, but I...

1. 1TOP RATED

   anonymous

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   Mar 30th 2008, 23:57 report

   
   

   by Alisyn Camerota
   
   So here’s what Meatloaf told me the song means: he said that there’s a line that comes before every “but I won’t do that” that refers to what he won’t do.
   
   For instance in the first stanza it’s “I’ll never forget the way you feel right now,” in the second one it’s “I’ll never forgive myself” and on and on. Before each chorus, there’s a different thing that he would never do. When you read it, you’ll see what he means. As I asked him, “So it’s a riddle, wrapped in an enigma?”
   
   “Yes,” he said. And he, of course, always enjoyed the suspicion that it had something to do with sex.

   
   
   
   

2. 2TOP RATED

   anonymous

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   Jul 17th 2008, 17:37 report

   
   

   He is DEFINITELY talking about anal.

   
   
   
   

3. 3TOP RATED

   anonymous

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   Oct 21st 2006, 13:58 report

   
   

   In this song meat loaf is saying that he would give absolutely anything to be loved and to feel love except go around and start "screwing around". He won't cheat just to make love to someone and feel a little loved.

   
   
   
   

4.  

   anonymous

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   Dec 29th 2011, 22:48 report

   
   

   There are a couple schools of thought on the interpretation of this song. The traditional theory is that Meatloaf doesn't want to bang her bootyhole. A more controversial opinion is that he doesn't want to lick her vajay.

   
   
   
   

5.  

   anonymous

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   Sep 11th 2011, 16:11 report

   
   

   i think his partner cheated on him and he is saying how much he loves her and he would never cheat. but she still blows hot and cold towards him. hes just trying to get the trust back.
   

   
   
   
   

6.  

   anonymous

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   Jun 6th 2011, 03:04 report

   
   

   
   He is singing about the loss of his lady who has killed herself. The video shows this at 4.02 with the police tape, 4.04 with her limp hand on the floor and wen she drowns herself at 4.11, after which point she appears as a spirit. He will do anything for love but kill himself to be back with her. At 6.58 her spirit tells him sooner or later you will be screwing around, to which he replies "no i wont do that".After which his face appears normal representing he has taken his life too, as they ride off into the afterlife together.

   
   
   
   

7.  

   anonymous

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   Mar 21st 2011, 22:06 report

   
   

   I'm not registered here, so I can't change from anonymous, but my name is Mel, huge Meat Loaf fan blah blah blah, you get the picture.
   
   What he wouldn't do is very simple, if you listen to the song, read the lyrics VERY carefully. This has been explained by Meat himself on Storytellers, a DVD that I strongly recommend, was recorded in 1998....
   
   EG 1:
   
   And I would do anything for love, I’d run right into hell and back
   I would do anything for love, I’ll never lie to you and that’s a fact
   But I’ll never forget the way you feel right now, oh no, no way
   And I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, I won’t do that
   Anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
   I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, oh I won’t do that
   
   1. He won't lie to her
   2. He won't forget the way she feels
   
   EG 2:
   
   As long as the planets are turning, as long as the stars are burning
   As long as your dreams are coming true, you better believe it
   That I would do anything for love, and I’ll be there til the final act
   I would do anything for love, and I’ll take a vow and seal a pact
   But I’ll never forgive myself if we don’t go all the way tonight
   And I would do anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
   Oh I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, no I won’t do that
   
   3. He'll never forgive himself if they don't go all the way (The only reference to sex in the song)
   
   EG 3:
   
   But I’ll never stop dreaming of you every night of my life, no way
   And I would do anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
   I would do anything for love
   But I won’t do that
   No I won’t do that
   
   4. He'll never stop dreaming of her.
   
   
   As he describes it in Storytellers (I have watched this sooooo many times) Its the line before every chorus.
   
   Fun Fact: Meat & Jim Steinman argued over whether people would understand what they meant, "Of course they will, people aren't idiots."
   
   Now its the single most asked question when people meet him or in interviews.

   
   
   
   

8.  

   anonymous

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   Feb 11th 2011, 16:15 report

   
   

   What he's saying is that he won't eat her pussy.

   
   
   
   

9.  

   anonymous

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   Oct 14th 2010, 12:16 report

   
   

   Me and wife agree that he is saying he would do anything for love but he will not take it in the bookus, if you listen closely to the lyrics he clearly says "butt I won't do that"....

   
   
   
   

10.  

    XMusicXisXlifeX

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    Dec 13th 2009, 20:00 report

    
    

    I am a HUGE Meat Loaf fan. As Meat Loaf said himself, on his VH1 Storytellers CD, the "that" changes in every verse and simply means whatever was said before it in the verse.
    
    That means:
    
    1)"But I'll never forget the way you feel right now
    Oh no, no way
    And I would do anything for love
    But I won't do that."
    
    2) "But I'll never forgive myself
    If we don't go all the way tonight!
    I would do anything for love
    Oh, I would do anything for love
    I would do anything for love
    But I won't do that
    No, I won't do that."
    
    3)"But I'll never do it better than I do it with you
    So long, so long
    And I would do anything for love
    Oh, I would do anything for love
    I would do anything for love
    But I won't do that
    No, no, no, I won't do that."
    
    4) "But I'll never stop dreaming of you
    Every night of my life, no way
    And I would do anything for love
    Oh, I would do anything for love
    I would do anything for love
    But I won't do that
    No, I won't do that."
    
    It's all right there in the lyrics! Hope this helped:)
    
    MeatLoaf4ever!

    
    
    
    

11.  

    anonymous

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    Jul 10th 2009, 19:00 report

    
    

    I feel that this song could be about his mother and the line "i would do anything for love but i wont do that" could be refering to how he wont ever forget his mother who died before he became a big star and the reason he carries a red scarf all the time is to remember his mother.

    
    
    
    

12.  

    anonymous

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    Jun 30th 2009, 19:11 report

    
    

    He won't marry her duh!

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

13.  

    dfp925

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    Jun 2nd 2009, 09:16 report

    
    

    Meatloaf will do "anything" for love - aka sex.
    
    He will do anything to get laid. period, end of sentence - that is what this song is about. Any thoughts of love, devotion, etc. are just thinking too deep.
    
    "But I won't do that" is merely the lie he uses to convince the gal to get laid - the "that" is whatever obstacle the gal puts up that stands between him and getting laid.........he want's to get laid, so he tells the gal he will do anything she wants.....and won't do whatever it is that she fears he will after she gives in..........

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

14.  

    boooooooo

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    May 30th 2009, 11:21 report

    
    

    He says, "some nights you're breathing fire, and some nights you're carved in ice." Obviously she's a shape-shifter. This might be a problem for anyone, but especially someone with pansy-ass restrictions.

    
    
    
    

15.  

    anonymous

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    Mar 19th 2009, 22:33 report

    
    

    It's about anal sex, for sure.
    
    http://youtube.com/branscombex

    
    
    
    

16.  

    anonymous

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    Feb 16th 2009, 15:00 report

    
    

    I might be way out but here is my two cents:
    
    I think that the phrase “I won’t do that” is clearly a part of a morning conversation between the two lovers after a night of hot love. I believe that the phrase is a response by Meatloaf when asked to perform oral sex on her. He’s declining the request, obviously.
    
    SM.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

17.  

    anonymous

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    Dec 30th 2008, 16:01 report

    
    

    I heard it means he won't wait for her.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

18.  

    anonymous

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    Aug 28th 2008, 23:11 report

    
    

    In every verse he states what the "that" is
    
    -I'll never lie to you and that's a fact.
    
    -But I'll never forget the way you feel right now
    
    -But I'll never forgive myself if we don't go all the way - Tonight
    
    -But I'll never do it better than I do it with you
    
    etc etc
    
    Then during the woman's part he is responding to the things she has to say.

    
    
    
    

19.  

    m320753

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    Jul 22nd 2008, 06:29 report

    
    

    Every man/boy has at one time or another been in this situation but has not have the courage to answer the way meat loaf does it's classic . He wants her he needs her but not enough to say I love her ; no strings no commitment just sex. you have to give him that point but I'll bet he went home that night and made love to Mr. Hand.

    
    
    
    

20.  

    anonymous

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    Aug 25th 2007, 15:07 report

    
    

    I think "I won’t do that" has at least 3 different meanings depending on the line of the song.
    
    He will not cheat her.
    He will not kill (her man). (Maybe)
    He will never forget his promises.
    
    I think the song is basically about a man who is in love with a married woman.
    He's friend of her and he would do everything for her ("I would do anything for love").
    I think she has been cheated ("I’ll never forget the way you feel right now") (see later)
    and he claims he would never do this ("but I won’t do that").
    He did not know he could feel like that ("Maybe I’m crazy, but it’s crazy and it’s true")
    He says he would even "take the vow and seal a pact" (with the devil) to make her love him.
    
    I'm not sure maybe he wants to say she should come with him or he tries to have sex with her when he says
    "I’ll never forgive myself if we don’t go all the way tonight".
    
    "Some nights I just lose it all when I watch you dance and the thunder rolls" may refer to "The thunder rolls" by Garth Brooks.
    See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thunder_Rolls .
    So that would proof the cheating theory.
    In "The thunder rolls" the woman kills her huspend, so "I won’t do that" would mean he would not kill her man for love.
    
    "But I’ll never stop dreaming of you every night of my life, no way"
    He will always love her, but he can not get with her, because he is only dreaming.
    
    She asks what he would do, so one can see she is unhappy with her life.
    ("godforsaken town", "less cold", "colorize my life", "black and white")
    
    The "emerald city" could reference to wizard of oz but I rather think it's about the situation she wants to overcome.
    Look here what a emerald is said to be: http://www.sobrietystones.com/resources/GemBook/Stones/meanings_gemstones_emerald.htm
    
    So "grains of sand" is all that is left of her life.
    
    Then she claims he will "forget everything" and he will "move on" to another woman.
    "I won’t do that!". (He will never forget his promises.)
    
    She says she knows what she's talking about and his promises will "turn to dust"
    and he will (just like her man) "be screwing around"
    "I won’t do that!". (He will not cheat her.)

    
    
    
    

21.  

    anonymous

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    May 24th 2007, 04:37 report

    
    

    This song is about a couple. Basically where he says "I'd run right into hell and back I would do anything for love, I'll never lie to you and that's a fact" Is what he will do for her. Then he goes on to say "But I'll never forget the way you feel right now, oh no, no way And I would do anything for love, but I won't do that, I won't do that" Here he is saying he won't ever forget how she feels and he wouldn't do that for love. The song is very self explanatory.

    
    
    
    

22.  

    anonymous

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    Apr 17th 2007, 09:06 report

    
    

    I think he is saying he will never cheat on her. He talks about how he would do anything for "love" or in this case he means "sex" and that he would never cheat on this woman whom he is in a monogamous relationships.

    
    
    
    

23.  

    anonymous

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    Apr 17th 2007, 08:57 report

    
    

    If you listen closely to what he says in the song, he talks about how much he loves her and how she is the only one who saves him, but then he starts complaining about her. She says she wants to settle down, he says he doesn't. Therefore, this song in clearly about marriage. He is trying to say he does not want to marry her, despite how much he loves her.