Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) Lyrics Meaning

I'm not registered here, so I can't change from anonymous, but my name is Mel, huge Meat Loaf fan blah blah blah, you get the picture.

What he wouldn't do is very simple, if you listen to the song, read the lyrics VERY carefully. This has been explained by Meat himself on Storytellers, a DVD that I strongly recommend, was recorded in 1998....

EG 1:

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
And I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, I won’t do that
Anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, oh I won’t do that

1. He won't lie to her
2. He won't forget the way she feels

EG 2:

As long as the planets are turning, as long as the stars are burning
As long as your dreams are coming true, you better believe it
That I would do anything for love, and I’ll be there til 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
And I would do anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
Oh I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that, no I won’t do that

3. He'll never forgive himself if they don't go all the way (The only reference to sex in the song)

EG 3:

But I’ll never stop dreaming of you every night of my life, no way
And I would do anything for love, oh I would do anything for love
I would do anything for love
But I won’t do that
No I won’t do that

4. He'll never stop dreaming of her.

As he describes it in Storytellers (I have watched this sooooo many times) Its the line before every chorus.

Fun Fact: Meat & Jim Steinman argued over whether people would understand what they meant, "Of course they will, people aren't idiots."

Now its the single most asked question when people meet him or in interviews.