by athena frybarger on May 2nd, 2005

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In the song "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf, what is "that"?

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Answers. 63 helpful answers below.

by webgrunt on May 3rd, 2005
It depends on where in the song you are. In the first verse, it seems to be that he is saying what he won't do is "forget the way you feel right now."

"I would do anything for love, I'll never lie to you and thats 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"

Later in the song, the "that" he won't do is "screwing around"

Female Vocalist: "I know the territory, I've been around
Itll all turn to dust and we'll all fall down
And sooner or later, you'll be screwing around"
Male vocalist: "I wont do that! no I wont do that!"
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- thank you
  
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  by athena frybarger on May 3rd, 2005
- yeah, that's how I interpret it too, in spite of the Pop-up Video that says we never find out what 'that' is. I love that song!!!
  
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  by yoho05 reminds you to DYOH on October 11th, 2006
- can't add anything to that...love the song...
  
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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on April 3rd, 2007
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by Sweet T on May 11th, 2008
In the line, "I will do anything for love, but I won't do that," the "that" is whatever he said just before that. For example... "But I'll never forget the way you feel right now-- Oh no--no way-- I would do anything for love, But I won't do that" - The "that" in this particular verse is "forget the way you feel right now."
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- that's it. ;-)
  
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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on May 11th, 2008
- Meat Loaf said this himself, on his StoryTellers episode on VH1.
  
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  by Sweet T on May 11th, 2008
- You go Sweet T!
  
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  by Capt.Lizzie_pirate king_Swann on May 11th, 2008
- Thank you both, I am a music addict.
  
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  by Sweet T on May 11th, 2008
- I do love that song, and so many others by Meatloaf.
  
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  by Capt.Lizzie_pirate king_Swann on May 11th, 2008
- It is one one of my favorite, our friends would do the boys sing this part, and the girls sing the other, it was a blast.
  
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  by Sweet T on May 11th, 2008
- That sounds like fun!
  
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  by Capt.Lizzie_pirate king_Swann on May 11th, 2008
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by yoho05 reminds you to DYOH on November 27th, 2006
-ever lie to you
-ever forget the way you feel right now;
-ever forgive myself if we don't go all the way, tonight;
-ever do it better than I do it with you;
-ever stop dreaming of you ev'ry night of my life; or
-be screwing around.

As taken from :
http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/meat_loaf/id_do_anything_for_love_but_i_wont_do_that.html

You know that things have really deteriorated when some of your favourite songs are listed on an 'oldies' site, hehe.
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- One of my favorite songs! I think he's saying that he will do anything except marry her.
  
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  by HungryGuy on December 10th, 2006
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by somewhere Pll loves her dawgy on May 11th, 2008
Give up fats & carbs??!.. ... .Wouldn't commit.
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- hahahha. He had to. He had a heart attack. LOL
  
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  by singwell-is off researching a lot on May 11th, 2008
- it was the emotional demands that finally tipped him over the edge healthwise I'm sure. He told her 2 outta 3 and that ain't bad I agree!.. but no, that wasn't enough..
  
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  by somewhere Pll loves her dawgy on May 11th, 2008
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by Little Miss Dangerous on April 10th, 2008
Per the lyrics, 'that' is:

I'll never lie to you and thats a fact
I'll never forget the way you feel right now
I'll never do it better than I do it with you
I'll never stop dreaming of you

And when she says: 'you'll see that it's time to move on' and 'sooner or later you'll be screwing around' he reiterates that "He won't do THAT"
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- thanks
  
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  by Debris - the new slimline version. on April 10th, 2008
- LMD, you're dead on. The "that" in question varies with each verse, according to the article I read. +6!
  
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  by Penal Colony is wicked marrying Andy on April 10th, 2008
- Yes, I was familiar with the song, but had to research the lyrics to be 100% sure myself. Not as much fun as making something up though.
  
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  by Little Miss Dangerous on April 10th, 2008
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by toe-tag on November 28th, 2006
Marry her.... he does respond with the answer at the end of the song (Screwing around). The girl says, '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' And good ol' Roast Beef replys,'I won't do that, No I won't do that. Anything for love but I won't do that' (and in the fade out she says, Yea right!)
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by anonymous on November 27th, 2006
Ever stop wiping his face with that damn red hankerchief! I wonder if he ever washes that thing...
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by Greekgod on May 11th, 2008
According to Meatloaf on BBC breakfast just last week. It is the line before the chorus that he won't do.
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by Shopping Sheryl - home from the hospital on April 23rd, 2008
This question's been around for almost 3 years, here:
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/21068

DUPE.
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by Sheriff Raff -Answerhag on March 29th, 2007
Cheat on his true love.
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by mrsmayfield on November 30th, 2006
give up his Dr. pepper
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by Anonymous on November 29th, 2006
Miss a good meal??
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- He said in a TV interview a few days ago he is constantly on a diet. What a drag that must be.
  
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  by justinoldguy on November 29th, 2006
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by TheShoemaker on November 28th, 2006
Leave his victorian lace shirt cuffs on his bedside table.
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by anonymous on November 27th, 2006
Destroy a piece of corporate architecture and trash a franchise coffee house.

Anyone?
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- I'm guessing there are no Fight Club fans around.
  
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  by anonymous on November 28th, 2006
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by Perryman on November 27th, 2006
He would not put that bag of chips down.
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- Or get his hair cut...
  
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  by anonymous on November 27th, 2006
- He did cut his hair.
  
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  by warriorsoul on November 30th, 2006
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by anonymous on November 27th, 2006
He wouldn't not dream about her every night.
(I saw an interview with him the other week)
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by snozberry on November 11th, 2006
The last line that the woman sings is "Sooner or later you'll be screwing around."

His response: "NO I WON'T DO THAT."

He's singing the whole song TO her and it's in response to that fear.
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by ToxicxCupiecake on July 28th, 2009
Solve you problem that might occur in love
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- I can't make out what your avatar is.
  
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  by Want To Sleep With A Miner on July 28th, 2009
- it just me with hair in my face
  
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  by ToxicxCupiecake on July 30th, 2009
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by domination on June 1st, 2009
Id do anything for meat loaf.. maybe? :|
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- lol!
  
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  by ryguy on June 1st, 2009
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by Imnottellingyou on June 1st, 2009
I always wondered that too.. i always thought it meant cheating because the last line is

Sooner or later, you'll be screwing around.
I won't do that. No, I won't do that

But I also wondered that.
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- thats always what i thought. but i wondered what other peoples opinions were.
  
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  by phxdonkey on June 1st, 2009
- well for me thats the only thing that makes sense
  
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  by Imnottellingyou on June 1st, 2009
- agreed!
  
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  by phxdonkey on June 2nd, 2009
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by jin jang on June 1st, 2009
Marriage,or permanent commitments.Like his other song,Paradise by the dashboard lights he was interested in the sex only.
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by Adz3r0 on February 11th, 2009
Two girls, one cup.
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by jin jang on May 18th, 2008
Get married,a commitment,to love the girl in the song,forever.During the song when he was trying to have sex with her she said "Stop right here,will you love me forever"Eventually his hormones gave in and he said yes I will love you forever.After sex he says to himself "Now I praying to the end of time,to hurry up and come on by .....and if I have to spend another minute with you I guess I couldn't barely survive."
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- good one - you might be right
  
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  by denise on May 18th, 2008
- Thanks
  
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  by jin jang on May 18th, 2008
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by Esteban-- Smart ass Pumpkin on May 11th, 2008
Buy a "go phone"
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by creamywhip on May 11th, 2008
get a haircut
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by jbigie on May 11th, 2008
Probably give up something very important to himself, make a change that would change who he is. Those are the things I would never do for love.
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by LittleDeadRidingHood is relentless on April 23rd, 2008
I don't know, but he was in Rocky Horror, so it seems to me that there's probably not a whole lot that he won't do.
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by peterpam on April 21st, 2008
Probably lose weight at the time!
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- LOL!
  
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  by Agent on April 21st, 2008
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by Hyacinth is not a Shrinking Violet on April 21st, 2008
Hard to say... it was Meatloaf and I think he has done just about everything.
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- Funny! :D
  
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  by Agent on April 21st, 2008
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by BigDaddyBS on April 10th, 2008
He won't:

lie
forget the way you feel right now
turn back
do it better than I do it with you
stop dreaming of you every night of my life
forget everything and move on...
screw around...
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- thank you very much
  
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  by Debris - the new slimline version. on April 11th, 2008
- ;-)
  
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  by BigDaddyBS on April 11th, 2008
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by 100 percent pure... BEEF CHUCK on April 10th, 2008
Definately don't think he'd give up his best performance in The Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Comments
- yay - I love that film - he totally rocked in it.
  
  Hot patootie bless my soul, I really love that rock and roll!!
  
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  by Debris - the new slimline version. on April 10th, 2008
- I've watched it a hundred times and still am trying to figure out the plot, i must be slow!
  
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  by 100 percent pure... BEEF CHUCK on April 10th, 2008
- I have seen the film hundreds of times and the stage show 5 times too.
  
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  by Debris - the new slimline version. on April 11th, 2008
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by Penal Colony is wicked marrying Andy on April 10th, 2008
I got into a HUGE discussion about this with my sister and her boyfriend once. "That" is probably intentionally undefined, that was our conclusion.

However, I did find this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27d_Do_Anything_for_Love_%28But_I_Won%27t_Do_That%29#Perceived_ambiguity_of_.22that.22
Comments
- wow - you have done your research LOL
  thanks for your answer
  
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  by Debris - the new slimline version. on April 10th, 2008
- But looking at the video, there's not much he wouldn't do. XD
  
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  by Symbeline on April 10th, 2008
- True, including dressing up like some insane vampire.
  
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  by Penal Colony is wicked marrying Andy on April 10th, 2008
- And killing police officers.
  I used to put the song on repeat when I was younger and fall asleep listening to it! The video tells a whole different story though... O_o
  
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  by Symbeline on April 10th, 2008
- That's kind of funny... I used to do the same thing with "Total Eclipse of the Heart". Both songs were written by the same guy. Weird.
  
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  by Penal Colony is wicked marrying Andy on April 10th, 2008
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by sloroller on April 10th, 2008
Screw around.
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by RosieGHM Jetpacker on April 10th, 2008
Treat ladies as they are supposed to be treated, in a gentlemanly fashion! :(
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- thanks Rosie
  
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  by Debris - the new slimline version. on April 10th, 2008
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by pigeonpower on April 3rd, 2007
"shag meatloaf"
sorry, couldn't help myself
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by JIMMYJOHNSON on March 29th, 2007
LOSE WEIGHT
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by Lemonyellow Di Vintage on March 29th, 2007
Nothing. It was a brilliant marketing ploy by Meatloaf to drum up business for an album full of songs as unlistenable as 2 Out of 3 Ain't Bad(Lovely song)
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by kitty loves you on December 5th, 2006
That.
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by Coheed on November 29th, 2006
Go gay.
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by yoho05 reminds you to DYOH on March 29th, 2007
see also
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/92964
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by benthere on December 1st, 2006
Who knows? That last venture sucked!
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by Wendora on December 1st, 2006
He would not eat meat. He is a vegetarian now. So basically Meatloaf would not eat meatloaf.
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by Coheed on November 30th, 2006
The song clearly states that Meatloaf wouldnt do that
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by singloud43 on December 1st, 2006
after 50,000 minutes of the song, you find out at the very end. Not that most people have enough patience to listen to the end of the song.
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by ChelseaMark on April 3rd, 2007
Support Tottenham HOTSPUR.
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by NIcky on April 24th, 2007
He won't put his woman's cell phone on vibrate, stick it up her ass, and as hes having sex with her, call her phone, have her shit it out, answer it, and talk dirty to her as he cums on her face.
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by trynfinity on July 8th, 2009
What ever is crossing the line for you personlly. sharing them with another a sexual position , moving whatever it is that it too much to ask of you personally.
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by Outta-here on November 5th, 2009
screwing around
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by bye bye on December 7th, 2009
Comb her back-hair....

I just grossed myself out. o_o
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by Shemarq the Wamama on June 1st, 2009
I've wondered that myself. Meatloaf doesn't seem like the kind of person who wouldn't do something.
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