Meat Loaf the rock star died yesterday at age 74. I didn’t follow his career and I’ve rarely listened to music in the last 20 years. But his 1993 song “I’d Do Anything for Love (but I Won’t Do That)” somehow got my attention. I loved the song but never stopped asking “What wouldn’t he do?” and back then never found an answer. Maybe I just didn’t look hard enough.
Finally, yesterday, I read a great explanation. The answer was right there in the song all along. I’ve just never been one to catch more than a few lyrics when listening to music.
As it turns out, there were a number of things he wouldn’t do, each mentioned just before the chorus kicks in:
- Lie to you
- Forget the way you feel right now
- Forgive myself if we don’t go all the way tonight
- Do it better than I do it with you
- Stop dreaming of you every night of my life
- See that it’s time to move on
- Be screwing around
Thanks to the BBC for elucidating.