TOW #16: Analysis of the song, I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That), Written by Jim Steinman and Performed by Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf is an American actor and musician who has huge success.  In his career, he has been in numerous tv shows and films and has had many albums and tours.  He has also won many awards, one of which, a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo, was earned by his song, “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”.  The song is about fighting for love and doing anything to keep it afloat, even in the face of hardships.  The song was released in 1993 as part of Meat Loaf’s album, “Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell”.  The song has other accolades including being certified platinum in the United States.  Now, although Meat Loaf is the one who skyrocketed the song to success, he is credible as the singer but not as the songwriter and/or anyone who has experienced what the song is about.  The credible songwriter is Jim Steinman.  Although the purpose of Meat Loaf may be to entertain by singing the song, the actual song in itself is supposed to possibly inspire the audience of people who are in a relationship and who are probably Meat Loaf fans, to fight for love.  The song accomplishes that purpose by appealing to pathos, using repetition, by having alternating points of views.  The appeal to pathos is that Meat Loaf, a huge celebrity, is the singer.  If a little child was singing the song, the audience wouldn’t be as big so the song wouldn’t be able to inspire so many people.  The song uses a lot of repetition to get the point across to fight for love.  For example, the phrase “I would do anything for love” is mentioned numerous times throughout the lyrics.  The alternating points of views are shown at the end where there is a girl part along with the guy part.  In those parts, the girl is asking demanding questions of the guy and the guy says that he “can do that” because love is worth fighting for.  Therefore, the purpose of the song, is accomplished.  

The Lyrics

 

"I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)"

And I would do anything for love
I'd run right into hell and back
I would do anything for love
I'd 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
No, 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
No, I won't do that

Some days it don't come easy
Some days it don't come hard
Some days it don't come at all, and these are the days that never end
Some nights you're breathing fire
Some nights you're carved in ice
Some nights you're like nothing I've ever seen before or will again

Maybe I'm crazy, but it's crazy and it's true
I know you can save me, no-one else can save me now but you

As long as the planets are turning
As long as the stars are burning
As long dreams are coming true
You'd better believe it, that I would do

Anything for love
And I'l be there until 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
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

I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that

Some days I pray for silence
Some days I pray for soul
Some days I just pray to the god of sex and drums and rock 'n' roll
Some nights I lose the feeling
Some nights I lose control
Some nights I just lose it all when I watch you dance and the thunder rolls

Maybe I'm lonely, that's all I'm qualified to be
That's just one and only, the one and only promise I can keep

As long as the wheels are turning
As long as the fires are burning
As long as your prayers are coming true
You'd better believe it, that I would do

Anything for love
And you know it's true and that's a fact
I would do anything for love, and there'll never be no turning back
But I'll never do it better than I do it with you. So long, so long
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
No, no, no, I won't do...

I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that
I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do...

But I'll never stop dreaming of you ev'ry night of my life, no way
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

[Girl:]
Will you raise me up? will you help me down?
Will you get me right out of this godforsaken town?
Will you make it all a little less cold?

[Boy:]
I can do that
I can do that

[Girl:]
Will you hold me sacred? Will you hold me tight?
Can you colourise my life, I'm so sick of black and white?
Can you make it all a little less old?

[Boy:]
I can do that
Oh no, I can do that

[Girl:]
Will you make me some magic with your own two hands?
Will you build and emerald city with these grains of sand?
Can you give me something I can take home?

[Boy:]
I can do that
I can do that

[Girl:]
Will you cater to every fantasy I got?
Will you hose me down with holy water, if I get too hot?
Will you take me places I've never known?

[Boy:]
I can do that
Oh no, I can do that

[Girl:]
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

[Boy:]
I won't do that
I won't do that

[Girl:]
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

[Boy:]
I won't do that
No, 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
No, I won't do that

 

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/meatloaf/iddoanythingforlovebutiwontdothat.html