The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
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
I would do anything for love
I would do anything for love
But I won't do that
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
Oh, 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 as your dreams are coming true
You better believe it!
That I would do anything for love
And I'll be there till 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
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
Somedays I pray for silence
Somedays I pray for soul
Somedays 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
And that's all I'm qualified to be
There'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 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
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, no, 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
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
[Girl:] Will you raise me up?
Will you help me down?
Will you get me right out of this God-forsaken 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 colorize 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, oh, now I can do that!
[Girl:] Will you make me some magic
With your own two hands?
Can you build an emerald city
With these grains of sand?
Can you give me something I can take home?
[Boy:] I can do that!
Oh, oh now, 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, oh now, 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!
No, 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
And 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
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
I would do anything for love
I would do anything for love
But I won't do that
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
Oh, 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 as your dreams are coming true
You better believe it!
That I would do anything for love
And I'll be there till 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
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
Somedays I pray for silence
Somedays I pray for soul
Somedays 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
And that's all I'm qualified to be
There'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 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
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, no, 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
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
[Girl:] Will you raise me up?
Will you help me down?
Will you get me right out of this God-forsaken 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 colorize 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, oh, now I can do that!
[Girl:] Will you make me some magic
With your own two hands?
Can you build an emerald city
With these grains of sand?
Can you give me something I can take home?
[Boy:] I can do that!
Oh, oh now, 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, oh now, 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!
No, 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
And 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
Lyrics submitted by holmbom
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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"that" which is referred to throughout the song has NEVER been defined by Meatloaf or Jim Steinman. It's a secret they'll take to the grave.
Meat Loaf has said the "that" is different for each verse, as Bonzai points out.
Because "THAT" is CLEARLY DEFINED IN THE SONG LYRICS:<br /> <br /> Read Carefully.<br /> [Girl:] After a while you'll forget everything<br /> It was a brief interlude and a midsummer night's fling<br /> And you'll see that it's time to move on<br /> <br /> [Boy:] I won't do that!<br /> No, I won't do that!
Turtonhot yes it has been defined. Meat loaf defined it on his VH1 storytellers dvd. It is a different that for every verse.<br /> <br /> This is what wikipaedia has to say on the subject:-<br /> <br /> 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". Each mention of "that" is a reference to the particular promise that he made earlier in the same verse.[8] 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!"<br /> <br /> In his 1998 VH1 Storytellers special, he even explained it on stage using a blackboard and a pointing stick.[8] In a 1993 promotional interview, Steinman states that the definition of "that" is fully revealed in the song in each of the several verses in which it is mentioned.