# I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020 "2006-09-09T01:50:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nemminie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nemminie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nemminie)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/1 "2006-09-09T01:50:17Z")
I have always felt a little less than grownup because I can’t think what _that_ is. Can grownups enlighten me? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/2 "2006-09-09T01:54:24Z")
[Perceived ambiguity of “that”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'd_Do_Anything_for_Love_(But_I_Won't_Do_That)) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/3 "2006-09-09T02:06:10Z")
It amazes me how many people only listen to the chorus and don’t recognise that the other lyrics explain everything. ---
**Author:** ![nemminie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecb155/32.png) [@nemminie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nemminie)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/4 "2006-09-09T02:33:38Z")
Thanks **astro** - complete explanation. Thread closed. You’re right, **GuanoLad** - I’m a lazy boy. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/5 "2006-09-09T02:37:50Z")
_Would you take me away from this Og forsaken town?_ Sgt Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/6 "2006-09-09T16:32:39Z")
Da Vinci’s Notebook has a brilliant Meatloaf parody/tribute song on their “In Memory of Mike Fanning” CD called “Three Little Words.” Although the song is more reminiscent of “Paradise in the Dashboard Light,” it could provide a clue to just what _that_ was. > [@](#): > > We stood there together on the edge of forever > in the shadows of a pale moon light, > and I’ve never seen a woman looking better than she did > on that lonely, deep, dark, hot summer night. > > Well, my body was trembling, and my soul was aching > but I saw my salvation in her eyes. > so held out my hand and said those three little words > that I’ve been holding for so long inside… Are you sure you want to know what those 3 little words were? Pull my finger… ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/7 "2006-09-09T18:50:32Z")
[QUOTE=YWalker] Da Vinci’s Notebook has a brilliant Meatloaf parody/tribute song on their “In Memory of Mike Fanning” CD called “Three Little Words.” Although the song is more reminiscent of “Paradise in the Dashboard Light,” it could provide a clue to just what _that_ was. Are you sure you want to know what those 3 little words were? Pull my finger… [/QUOTE] I’m thinking more like… You’re under arrest ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/8 "2006-09-09T18:55:44Z")
[QUOTE=nemminie] I have always felt a little less than grownup because I can’t think what _that_ is. Can grownups enlighten me? [/QUOTE] As the Wikipedia page says, he won’t give up his Dr. Pepper. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/9 "2006-09-09T19:03:58Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] It amazes me how many people only listen to the chorus and don’t recognise that the other lyrics explain everything. [/QUOTE] Meat Loaf was on the Howard Stern Show a couple weeks ago and they just did. not. get. this. They kept asking, _what won’t you do?_ “It’s whatever the previous verse says” _Yeah, but what do you mean when you say I won’t do that?_ “I won’t do whatever I say in the line at the end of the verse before the chorus” _You won’t cheat on her? It’s he won’t cheat on her!_ (three or four people echo that this is right) “No, it’s that I won’t do whatever I say at the end on the verse, right before I say I won’t do that” _You won’t give her anal?_ ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-do-anything-for-love-but-i-wont-do-that/372020/10 "2006-09-09T19:59:54Z")
Meat Loaf drove the Spice Girls’ tour bus in the underrated romp _Spice World_. The bus’ toilet ended up breaking. When asked to fix it, Meat Loaf responds, “Hey, I love these girls and I would do anything for them- but I won’t do that.”