# "I would do anything for love, but I won't do that". Do WHAT !?!?!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 1, 2000, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240 "2000-11-01T14:55:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MadHatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadHatter)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/1 "2000-11-01T14:55:30Z")
Meatloaf won’t do **WHAT** for love ?!?!?!?!?
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/2 "2000-11-01T15:00:41Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MadHatter \*
> \*\*Meatloaf won’t do **WHAT** for love ?!?!?!?!? \*\*
You know, _that_.
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### Author:  [@Another\_County\_Heard\_From](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_County_Heard_From)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/3 "2000-11-01T15:03:28Z")
At the end of the song, the female singer (?Bonnie Tyler?) says:
> [@](#):
>
> I know the territory; I’ve been around…
> Sooner or later you’ll be sleeping around
To which Meat Loaf answers:
> [@](#):
>
> No, I won’t do that.
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### Author:  [@Grither](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grither)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/4 "2000-11-01T15:07:35Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MadHatter \*
> \*\*Meatloaf won’t do **WHAT** for love ?!?!?!?!? \*\*
Dear Gawd. Well, now I don’t feel like such a boob for having that mp3 on my HD, anyways, I guess. 🙂
All is made clear in the final verse of the song with the lines:
> [@](#):
>
> **Girl**
> After a while you’ll forget everything
> It was a brief interlude
> And a midsummer night’s fling
> And you’ll see that it’s time to move on
>
> **Boy**
> I won’t do that
> I won’t do that
>
> **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
> I won’t do that
Aah, Jim Steinman!
mm
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### Author:  [@scratch1300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scratch1300)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/5 "2000-11-01T15:07:38Z")
But then why does he say, “I will do anything for love…”? Sleeping around isn’t “for love”, is it?
I agree with **friedo**. It’s cunnilingus.
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/6 "2000-11-01T15:39:02Z")
Or get married without a pre-nup.
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/7 "2000-11-01T15:50:16Z")
Being that no two people here define ‘love’ the same way, I can’t say as there would be an answer 🙂
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### Author:  [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/8 "2000-11-01T15:50:29Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by scratch1300 \*
> \*\*Sleeping around isn’t “for love”, is it?
> \*\*
sure, it is called _looking_ for love.
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### Author:  [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/9 "2000-11-01T16:10:42Z")
**jdimbert** is gonna be so proud of me.
I saw Mr. Loaf on MTV’s _Storytellers_ series. Happens to be an excellent show. They do a lot of crap on that network, but this is a seriously good series.
Anyway, Meatloaf answered a lot of questions from the crowd, and **MadHatter** ’s was among them. He said that he hates getting this question because he thought it was so simple when he recorded the song. He actually brought out a chalkboard to explain it.
And you know what? It _is_ simple!
At the end of each verse, ML says something, then, during the chorus, he says, “I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that.” The “that” refers back to whatever she asked him to do in the last verse! To wit [(Lyrics source)](http://www.cyberhikes.com/meatloaf/bh2_1.html):
[quote]
I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)
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
Chorus:
I would do anything for love
But I won’t do that **[Lie to you]**
No I won’t do that
[…]
Chorus:
That I would do anything for love
And I’ll be there until 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-**
I would do anything for love!
I would do anything for love
I would do anything for love
But I won’t do that **[Not go all the way tonight]**
I won’t do that…
[…]
Chorus:
That I would do anything for love
And you know it’s true and that’s a fact
I would do anything for love
**And there’ll never be no turning back**
[…]
I would do anything for love
But I won’t do that **[Turn back]**
No-No
No I won’t do that
[…]
_Girl:_
After a while you’ll forget everything
It was a brief interlude
And a midsummer night’s fling
And you’ll see that it’s time to move on
_Boy:_
I won’t do that
I won’t do that **[See it now?]**
_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 **[Screw around]**
[…]
End
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### Author:  [@Another\_County\_Heard\_From](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_County_Heard_From)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/10 "2000-11-01T16:54:32Z")
So does anyone know if it is Bonnie Tyler who sings the female parts on this song and Paradise by the Dashboard Lights (I gotta know right now…will you love me 'til the end of time)?
And does Meat Loaf reciprocte on Total Eclipse of the Heart? (Turn around bright eyes)
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/11 "2000-11-01T18:27:44Z")
According to Pop-Up Video, the woman is anonymous. Supposedly the credits on the CD just list her as “Big Voice” or something like that… I don’t own it do verify this. The same episode mentioned that the “I won’t do that” was never identified by Mr. Loaf as to what “That” was.
An interesting note, the model in the video that plays the woman (a gorgeous woman at that) most definetly isn’t the singer in the song. She however recieved several singing contract offers based on the video alone. She has never sung anything before, but is quite good at lip-synching.
Eric
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### Author:  [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/12 "2000-11-01T18:40:46Z")
Ellen Foley sang on the album. Karen DeVito sang on tour.
[http://www.home.gil.com.au/~ptybisla/efbiog.html](http://www.home.gil.com.au/~ptybisla/efbiog.html)
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### Author:  [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/13 "2000-11-01T18:54:44Z")
Did you say Danny DeVito is on tour with Meat Loaf!!! Wow!!!
Oh, never mind ☹
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### Author:  [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/14 "2000-11-01T19:44:20Z")
It was Ellen Foley on “Bat Out of Hell.” It’s in the liner notes. For those of you who don’t know who she is, see the first defense attorney on “Night Court”–the kinda pinched-faced chick with the short blonde hair. Same one. That’s her. “Will you love me forever?” “No, but there’ll be less of you than there were female foils for Bull.”
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### Author:  [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/15 "2000-11-01T19:58:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by monster \*
> \*\*Ellen Foley sang on the album. Karen DeVito sang on tour.
>
> [http://www.home.gil.com.au/~ptybisla/efbiog.html](http://www.home.gil.com.au/~ptybisla/efbiog.html) \*\*
Uh, that’s **Karla** DeVito, wife of Robby Benson. (Yes, _that_ Robby Benson.)
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### Author:  [@davesink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davesink)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/16 "2000-11-01T20:11:40Z")
and while we’re on the subject…
What exactly DO the Beatles want to do “in the road”???
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### Author:  [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/17 "2000-11-01T22:28:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by pldennison \*
>
> Uh, that’s **Karla** DeVito, wife of Robby Benson. (Yes, _that_ Robby Benson.) \*\*
Uh, yes, you’re right. My mistake.
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### Author:  [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)
#### Post date: [November 1, 2000, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/18 "2000-11-01T22:53:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Do WHAT?!?!
>
> ```
> and while we're on the subject...
> What exactly DO the Beatles want to do "in the road"???
>
> ```
Make cookies 😉
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### Author:  [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2000, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/19 "2000-11-02T05:14:19Z")
Granted that the things that Meatloaf won’t do are as specified in sdimbert’s post, it’s still confusing why the song says, “But I won’t do that.” He should logically be saying “so”, not “but.” In each verse, Meatloaf says “I would do anything for love,” and then he states something that he won’t do. But in each case not doing this shows that he does love her. Saying “_but_ I won’t do that” makes it sound like not doing it would show that he doesn’t love her. Not lying to her, desiring to go all the way, not turning back, not wanting to move on, and not screwing around are all signs that he loves her. It’s the word “but” in there that makes the song confusing.
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### Author:  [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)
#### Post date: [November 2, 2000, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240/20 "2000-11-02T05:30:26Z")
I thought the song was about a vampire refusing to “turn” his mortal lover.
All of the things she asks him to do are supposed to be euphemisms for her eventual alteration into a “creature of the night”.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that-do-what/39240.md?page=2)