# Meatloaf "I won't do that" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360 "2007-09-16T01:17:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/1 "2007-09-16T01:17:23Z")
I’m sure that this has been answered. I’ve listened to this song when I was in high school and again tonight. WTF WON’T he do? HE WON’T DO WHAT??? many thanks… ---
**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 16, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/2 "2007-09-16T01:20:44Z")
**Listen to the lyrics!** Everything he says before each chorus begins is what he won’t do. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/3 "2007-09-16T01:31:30Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] **Listen to the lyrics!** Everything he says before each chorus begins is what he won’t do. [/QUOTE] Sort of. Sometimes the “what he won’t do” is further up in the verse. It’s much easier to see when it’s written but it’s aesthetically awkward (though I’m sure it’s supposed to be all artsy or “ironic” or something). When listening to it though it does seem as though he’s alluding to some unknown “that”. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/4 "2007-09-16T01:32:08Z")
From the lyrics: Female singer: “It’ll all turn to dust, and we’ll all fall down Sooner or later you’ll be screwin’ around” Meatloaf: “I won’t do that, no, no, no I won’t do that Oh, I would do anything for love, I would do anything for love, I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that” ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/5 "2007-09-16T01:35:22Z")
Take it up the butt from a strap-on eight-inch, spiked vibrator, duh. Or what **GuanoLad** said. Either way, the Loaf rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/6 "2007-09-16T01:39:00Z")
I’ve never heard the song, so I’m just going by how the [lyrics are written.](http://www.qgm.com/meatloaf/lyrics/anything.html) “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” “But I’ll never stop dreaming of you” “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” From my reading, these appear to be the things he won’t do. Does the song not sound like this? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/7 "2007-09-16T01:46:22Z")
Pretty much. I think a lot of people don’t listen to lyrics, because it was fairly obvious and still the question got (and still gets) asked over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/8 "2007-09-16T01:51:44Z")
Well, my ignorance has been fought on the original question. “That” means something different in each verse. So, in the video why are the po-po s raiding his vampire castle and he crashes out with the motorcycle? Then at the end of the video, they are raiding again, except Meatloaf and the sexy lady disappear? Fight my ignorance again!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/9 "2007-09-16T01:53:14Z")
[QUOTE=Heffalump and Roo] I’ve never heard the song, so I’m just going by how the [lyrics are written.](http://www.qgm.com/meatloaf/lyrics/anything.html) “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” “But I’ll never stop dreaming of you” “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” From my reading, these appear to be the things he won’t do. Does the song not sound like this? [/QUOTE] I guess so, as I said to me it seems to be grammatically awkward. I GET it, but to me it just doesn’t seem to flow very well. Due to the instances where he states “I’ll never blah de blah etc” and then speaks about other things he WILL do or that she’s doing and then he goes back to “but I won’t do that”. Not to mention the poor diction in many areas of the song (don’t HIT me, I love Meatloaf too! but come on, some of these rockers need to ENUNCIATE better!) I think it’s just a personal taste thing. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/10 "2007-09-16T02:09:21Z")
[QUOTE=jtgain] So, in the video why are the po-po s raiding his vampire castle and he crashes out with the motorcycle? Then at the end of the video, they are raiding again, except Meatloaf and the sexy lady disappear? Fight my ignorance again!! 🙂 [/QUOTE] Because it’s FUCKING AWESOME! ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/11 "2007-09-16T02:29:49Z")
I heard Meat Loaf answer this question himself one time. He said the “that” is “whatever _you_ won’t do.” Not a very satisfying answer but it’s from the horse’s mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/12 "2007-09-16T03:01:19Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I heard Meat Loaf answer this question himself one time. He said the “that” is “whatever _you_ won’t do.” Not a very satisfying answer but it’s from the horse’s mouth. [/QUOTE] [You misremember](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'd_Do_Anything_for_Love_(but_I_Won't_Do_That)). > [@](#): > > Meat Loaf says that the question “what is ‘that’?” is one of the most popular questions he is asked. In his 1998 VH1 Storytellers special, he even explained it on stage using a blackboard and a pointing stick. In a 1993 promotional interview, Steinman [the song’s writer] states that the definition of “that” is fully revealed in the song in each of the several verses in which it is mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/13 "2007-09-16T03:11:31Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] [You misremember](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'd_Do_Anything_for_Love_(but_I_Won't_Do_That)). [/QUOTE] I don’t misremember. He said what I said he said. He might have said something else since then, but he gave at least one interview where he gave the answer I described. I can’t remember what show it was, but it was on television. I think it might have been Larry King. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/14 "2007-09-16T14:10:39Z")
I took it to mean he will never cheat on someone. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/15 "2007-09-16T14:25:41Z")
I think the reason its confusing is that people (including me) who here the chorus assuming that he’s talking about things he won’t do _for love_. But then the lyrics suggest a bunch of things that someone would do for love: not cheat on the person, not forget how they feel “right now”, never stop dreaming of the person, etc. So then we’re confused. Obviously the chorus is meant to mean that Meatloaf would do anything for love, and then there’s a bunch of things he won’t do; not that there are things he won’t do for love. Honestly I think its a better song my way though. Alternative theroy: he won’t throw something off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Of course that begs the question of what that something is. ---
**Author:** ![Martiju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@Martiju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martiju)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/16 "2007-09-16T15:36:21Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Alternative theroy: he won’t throw something off the Tallahatchie Bridge. Of course that begs the question of what that something is. [/QUOTE] 😃 A motorbike, presumably? ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/17 "2007-09-16T15:50:03Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I don’t misremember. He said what I said he said. He might have said something else since then, but he gave at least one interview where he gave the answer I described. I can’t remember what show it was, but it was on television. I think it might have been Larry King. [/QUOTE] But, dude, he GOOGLED! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/18 "2007-09-16T16:28:08Z")
[QUOTE=Diomedes] Take it up the butt from a strap-on eight-inch, spiked vibrator, duh. [/QUOTE] Is that a “(Hey) Mickey” reference[?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=433108) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/19 "2007-09-16T23:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, my ignorance has been fought on the original question. “That” means something different in each verse. > > So, in the video why are the po-po s raiding his vampire castle and he crashes out with the motorcycle? Then at the end of the video, they are raiding again, except Meatloaf and the sexy lady disappear? Fight my ignorance again!! Several years back, VH1’s **Pop=Up Videos** did a pretty good job dissecting the video. From what I can recall, the video tells the story of Beauty and the Beast (which the song doesn’t do, but it’s not the first time the song and the video have a creative discnnect), with MeatLoaf as The Beast, naturally. At the beginning, a policeman is investigating the Beast’s haunts, and as the Beast roars out on his motorcycle,m the policeman is accidentally killed (which you can see in the video, if you know to look). The police investigate the death of the officer, and the story of their getting closer alternates with the story of The Beast trying to seduce The Beauty, and succeeding. When she finally throws her lot in with him, they vanish. Damned if I know why. It’s mystical and looks cool. And it’s just before the police break in, because it would have been tragic if they got there BEFORE they mystically vanished, and had to lead the Beast away in cuffs and take mug shots of him. The model who played Beauty did not sing her lines, but she got a lot of offers after the video. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360/20 "2007-09-16T23:30:30Z")
He won’t cheat. It’s about someone in a somewhat estranged relationship - he desperately wants love, and will do anything to obtain love, but only with his partner, he won’t look for the love elsewhere. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-i-wont-do-that/419360.md?page=2)