# But I won't do that...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 7, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546 "2003-02-07T20:02:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Photog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Photog)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/1 "2003-02-07T20:02:38Z")
In the Meatloaf song “I’d do anything for love” what is “that” as sung in the line “But I won’t do that.”?
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### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/2 "2003-02-07T20:05:01Z")
The real question here is, how is “that” somehow **NOT** a subset of “anything”?
* * *
Fagjunk Theology: Not just for sodomite propagandists anymore.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/3 "2003-02-07T20:09:27Z")
There are several things he won’t do; each time he says it, it refers to a specific thing. Each verse has the female singer saying, “You’ll do this to me” and the chorus says, “I won’t do that.”
IIRC, in the final verse she says something akin to “You’ll love me and leave me,” and he says, “I won’t do that.”
It’s actually quite clear from the lyrics.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/4 "2003-02-07T20:10:47Z")
Lie to you.
> [@](#):
>
> 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.
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### Author:  [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/5 "2003-02-07T20:13:15Z")
The female vocal in the song says that she “knows the territory, I’ve been around; it’ll all turn to dust, and we’ll all fall down; sooner or later you’ll be screwin’ around.”
Meat Loaf is saying he won’t do that. His character in the song is desperate for love, but not to the extent of jeopardizing the trust of the lady.
The video of the song is quite effective at portraying this; Meat Loaf is a monster (or at least, a deformed person); the female vocal is a beautiful woman. Her jaded opinion is based on her past relationships with “normal” guys who treated her like crap. Meat Loaf’s character, although less than appealing to the eye, is actually the man for whom she’s been looking her whole life.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/6 "2003-02-07T20:17:28Z")
OK, here are the various relevant lyrics:
> [@](#):
>
> 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.e., forget the way you feel
> [@](#):
>
> But I’ll never forgive myself
> if we don’t go all the way, tonight!
> …
> Oh, I would do anything for love,
> but I won’t do that!
i.e., forgive himself if they don’t go all the way
> [@](#):
>
> I’ll never do it better than I do it with you.
> …
> but I won’t do that!
> No, I won’t do that!..
i.e., never have better sex than with you
> [@](#):
>
> But I’ll never stop dreaming of you ev’ry night of my life,
> …
> No, I won’t do that
No explanation necessary here.
And finally
> [@](#):
>
> Girl:
> I know the territory, I’ve been around
> It’ll all turn to dust and we’ll all fall down
> Sooner or later you’ll be screwing around
>
> Boy:
> I won’t do that
> No, I won’t do that !
i.e., screw around with someone else.
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### Author:  [@Photog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Photog)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/7 "2003-02-07T20:21:19Z")
Okay…I’m following it now.
Basically he’s saying he’d do anything to have love and to be loved but he won’t do any of the lengthy list of bad things both he and she mention in order to acheive it.
Never particularly enjoyed that song, so I guess I never really paid attention to what he’s saying. But I’ve had it stuck in my head for a few days now and before I go completely insane I wanted to understand it.
Thank you.
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### Author:  [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/8 "2003-02-07T20:23:59Z")
Meat Loaf did storytellers on VH1 and he went over this extensively. He got out a chalk board and wrote it all down, laying out what he wouldn’t do.
He gets really annoyed that people ask him about it.
The above posts all have it correct, by the way.
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### Author:  [@burntsand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burntsand)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-i-wont-do-that/153546/9 "2003-02-09T02:50:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Sauron \*
> \*\*The video of the song is quite effective at portraying this; Meat Loaf is a monster (or at least, a deformed person); the female vocal is a beautiful woman. \*\*
Interesting sidenote: I recall an interview with the “female vocal” in the video. She is actually a model named Dana Patrick, not a singer. She didn’t record a note of the vocal you hear, which was recorded by Lorraine Crosby. But, as Dana shows in the video, she’s a very good lip-syncher, and is so striking, that after the video came out several record companies expressed an interest in signing her.
At the time, the fact that she didn’t sing was considered a deal breaker. 10 years later, witness Britney/Jessica/Avril, maybe not so much.