Meat Loaf Elucidated

There is a great deal of confusion around Meat Loaf's song "I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)."
First, what the hell is Meat Loaf supposed to be in this video? Clearly not a delicious entree as his name may lead you to believe. If I were to guess (and believe me I will), I would say a vampire or a pedophile. More likely a pedophile since he has the police chasing him, hides out in the woods and has unkempt finger nails.

As for the more significant ambiguity in the song, "What is it that meat loaf will not do for love?" Throughout the song he repeats the lines "I would do anything for love but I wont do that." What "that" is has been the subject of speculation by scholars for centuries. Luckily for you, I (and wikipedia), happen to know the answer. I placed it under the video link to give you a chance to figure it out before revealing the truth of all truths.



Each verse mentions two things that he would do for love, followed by one thing that he will not do. The title phrase repetition reasserts that he "won't do that" previously stated one thing. Each mention of "that" is a reference to the particular promise that he made earlier in the same verse. For example, one such line is "But I'll never forget the way you feel right now ..." In addition, at the song's conclusion, the female vocalist predicts two other things that he will do: "You'll see that it's time to move on" and "You'll be screwing around". To both of these, he emphatically responds, "I won't do that!"

Situations such as this give us a rare peak into each others psyches by observing how we interpret ambiguity by projection our thoughts or values. Here is some delightful arm chair psychology I just made up:

1. If you thought "that" was intercourse then your probably grew up in sexually repressive religious household.
2. If you thought "that" was murder or Meat Loaf assisted suicide, you are depressed.
3. If you thought "that" was commitment or marriage you have commitment issues.
4. If you thought "that" was leaving the person to whom meat loaf is singing, you have abandonment issues.
5. If you thought "that" was watching the first season of Glee with the perspective lover, you are as sane as they come (possibly a genius). You should call MENSA.