"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Meat Loaf featuring Lorraine Crosby | ||||
from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell | ||||
B-side | "Back into Hell" (Europe) | |||
Released | August 31, 1993 [1] | |||
Studio | Ocean Way (Hollywood) [2] | |||
Genre | Wagnerian rock | |||
Length |
| |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Jim Steinman | |||
Producer(s) | Jim Steinman | |||
Meat Loaf singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" on YouTube |
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" is a song written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by American rock singer Meat Loaf featuring Lorraine Crosby. The song was released in August 1993 by MCA and Virgin as the first single from the singer's sixth album, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993). The last six verses feature Crosby, who was credited only as "Mrs. Loud" in the album notes. She does not appear in the accompanying music video, directed by Michael Bay, in which her vocals are lip-synched by Dana Patrick. Meat Loaf promoted the single with American singer Patti Russo.
The power ballad [3] was a commercial success, reaching number one in 28 countries. [2] The single was certified platinum in the United States and became Meat Loaf's first and only number-one and top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. It also became Meat Loaf's first and only number-one single on the UK Singles Chart, and was the best-selling single of 1993 in the United Kingdom. The song earned Meat Loaf a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo.
The timings in this article refer to the original album version. There are many shorter single and radio edits.
The song opens with a guitar played to sound like a revving motorcycle. Roy Bittan's piano begins to play along with the guitars and drums. The vocals begin at the 1:50 point. The opening vocals are accompanied by piano and backing vocals. The song then becomes much louder as the band, predominantly piano, plays the main melody for twenty seconds. An instrumental section follows the first verse and chorus, lasting over 45 seconds, with piano playing the title melody, accompanied by guitar and wordless background vocals by Todd Rundgren, Rory Dodd and Kasim Sulton. The lead vocals recommence with another verse. The phrase "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" was changed to "Some days I just pray to the god of sex and drums and rock and roll" on the recording, although Meat Loaf occasionally sang the original phrase when performing the song live. [4]
The lyrics "I'd do anything for love, but I won't do that" were first used in the song "Getting So Excited" (written by Alan Gruner), recorded by Bonnie Tyler in the album Faster Than the Speed of Night , which was produced by Steinman.
At the 9:28 point, the song transforms into a duet coda. The structure of the verses remains, but the woman now asks what the man would do. He answers in the affirmative for the first four sections. The song's tone changes for the final two sections, in which the woman, played by Lorraine Crosby on the original recorded version, predicts that the man would eventually do things to upset her and their relationship. [5] Both times, he denies it.
An early episode of the VH1 program Pop-up Video commented, "Exactly what Meat Loaf won't do for love remains a mystery to this day." [6] A reviewer writing for AllMusic commented, "The lyrics build suspense by portraying a romance-consumed lover who pledges to do anything in the name of love except 'that,' a mysterious thing that he will not specify." [7] Frank O'day says the lyrics provide "an enlightening example of how listeners project their own thoughts, values, and concerns onto the meaning of the song with misconstrued lyrics." [5]
Meat Loaf said the question, "What is 'that'?" was one of the most common questions he was asked. [8] He felt the message in the lyrics was clear, but Steinman had expected they would cause confusion. [9] In his 1998 VH1 Storytellers special, he explained the lyrics on stage using a blackboard and a pointer. [10]
In each verse the man describes things he would do for love, such as "I'd run right into hell and back", followed by a promise of something he will never do, such as "I'll never forget the way you feel right now." He then declares again that he "would do anything for love, but [he] won't do that." "That" refers to whatever he promised he will never do, making the declaration "I won't do that" a simple repetition of the promise. [10]
At the song's conclusion, the lyrics are more straightforward, where the woman suggests he will abandon her - "... you'll see that it's time to move on", "... you'll be screwing around", to which he replies, "I won't do that." [11]
English singer Lorraine Crosby sang the other part of the duet. She and her partner Stuart Emerson had moved to Los Angeles to work with Steinman, who became their manager and secured them a contract with Meat Loaf's label MCA. While visiting the company's studios on Sunset Boulevard, Crosby was asked to provide guide vocals for Meat Loaf, who was recording the song. Crosby recalls, "In I went and sang it twice and I never thought anything more of it until six months later when I got a phone call saying, 'Would you mind if we used your vocals?'" As Crosby had recorded her part as guide vocals, she received no royalties from the song. [12]
Cher, Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Tyler had been considered for the role. [12] Tyler, who described Crosby as "a great friend of mine from Newcastle", said: "Meat Loaf was naughty, really: he gave her no acknowledgement on the album but I think her part really made that song." [13]
Critical reaction was mixed. AllMusic said that "Meat Loaf sells the borderline-campy lyrics with a full-throated vocal whose stirring sense of conviction brings out the heart hidden behind the clever phrases." [7] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that the song "has Mr. Loaf's emotionally charged vocal fronting a mammoth mix (and what sounds like a cast of thousands). Cohort Steinman gives it his all here, providing epic power chords, angelic backing choruses, a romance-laden duet with fellow MCA signee "Mrs. Loud", and anthemic pace changes calculated to raise every lighter in the arena." He also described it as "a glorious exercise in rock'n'roll excess." [14] Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five and named it Pick of the Week, commenting, "This "edited" epic still checks in at nearly eight minutes and includes all the bombast you would expect whenever Meat and Jim Steinman meet. It's way over the top, but that's part of its appeal and, as such, is destined to become a very large hit." [15] Paul Moody from NME remarked that Meat Loaf "indulges in his old favourite trick of adapting a histrionic piano rock plodder to the epic heights of Romeo and Juliet " on the song. [16] Matt Birkbeck from Rolling Stone called it a "guilty pleasure". [17]
British adventurer Bear Grylls cites this song as his inspiration to apply for selection into the SAS: "Enthusiasm and determination count for so much more than skills, brains or qualifications... and all this expressed itself to me through Meatloaf's song!". [18]
The song reached number one in the charts in 28 countries. [2] In most countries, it was Meat Loaf's first and only number one solo single.[ citation needed ] It was number one in the US for five weeks and sold over 1.4 million copies there. [19] In the UK, it topped the singles chart for seven weeks, [20] and at seven minutes and 52 seconds, "I'd Do Anything for Love" becoming the longest song on top there since The Beatles' hit "Hey Jude". [21] This was then broken when Oasis released their 1998 single "All Around the World", clocking in at 9 minutes and 38 seconds. [22]
In the United Kingdom, this was the biggest hit of 1993, selling 723,000 copies in 1993. [23] As a result of its success, "Bat Out of Hell" was reissued in the UK, this time reaching the top ten (which it did not achieve on its first release in 1979), meaning Meat Loaf achieved the rare feat of having two singles in the UK top ten at the same time.
Meat Loaf won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo for the song. [24] In Germany, the song is the seventh best-selling pop hymn ever. [25]
American film director and producer Michael Bay directed the accompanying music video for "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". He also directed the videos for "Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer than They Are" and "Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through", also from Bat Out of Hell II. Filming took place in Los Angeles County, California in July 1993; the opening chase was filmed at Chávez Ravine, with the interior mansion scenes filmed at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. [6] The cinematographer was Daniel Pearl, particularly known for filming The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1973. Pearl says that this video "is one of my personal all-time favorite projects... I think the cinematography is pure, and it tells a story about the song." [26]
The video is based on Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera . Bob Keane did Meat Loaf's make-up, which took up to two hours to apply. The make-up was designed to be simple and scary, yet "with the ability to make him sympathetic." [27] The shoot went over budget, and was filmed in 90 °F (32 °C) heat, across four days. According to one executive, it "probably had the budget of Four Weddings and a Funeral ." [4] The video, which was the abridged seven-minute version of the song rather than the twelve-minute album version, was put into heavy rotation on MTV.
The actress in the video, Dana Patrick, is miming to Crosby's vocals; she did the same for Patti Russo's vocals in the 1995 song "I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)". [2] [6] According to the captions aired on Pop-Up Video , Patrick received several offers for record deals after the video aired, from executives who assumed she was actually singing in the video. [6]
The story begins with the opening credits saying: "I have travelled across the universe through the years to find her. Sometimes going all the way is just a start." We then see "The Beast" character – a deformed man portrayed by Meat Loaf, on a motorbike being chased by police officers and a helicopter. As the chase continues into night, the Beast passes into a graveyard and into what appears to be a very ornate mausoleum, hiding from his pursuers. He mournfully examines his deformed hands and features. As the officers enter and examine the mausoleum, he crashes through the wall with his motorbike and accidentally knocks down a police officer (whose shotgun goes off): this causes one of the chandeliers on the ceiling to fall and kill the officer.
In desperation, the Beast flees into the nearby woods where he comes across a beautiful woman bathing/cooling herself by a fountain. The woman appears to be in sunny daylight, while the rest of the woods and castle clearly show that it is night-time. The woman looks into a mirror and glimpses the Beast watching her. She turns and he flees leaving only an amulet hanging on a branch. The woman picks it up and pursues him.
As she approaches the castle, the Beast is watching her movements through the reflection of his drink. As she comes into the castle, the Beast hurriedly removes himself. The woman sits in his chair and rests by the fire. The Beast watches her from his hall of mirrors and contemplates approaching her but is ashamed of his appearance. She later is seen having a bath, interspersed with the police officers finding the dead officer's body and preparing to raid the castle. She is later seen trying to sleep while being seduced by three vampy women, while the Beast sits in a chair (a reference to Dracula and the Brides). The Beast leaves the room and, seeing his reflection, begins to smash up the mirrors. The woman, hearing the noise, comes out and follows him into a presumable living room. The Beast observes her from above and levitates the chair she is sitting on.
The Beast, then hearing the officers are near, moves away, and pulls the chair back down, breaking a lamp. The two run away and the woman removes the Beast's hood so she can look at him clearly. She accepts him and caresses his face while they embrace. As they pull away, the Beast is returned to his human form, and the two disappear just before the police catch them. The woman and the transformed Beast finally ride off into the sunrise on his motorbike.
The single cover is a cropped version of the painting Leavetaking by fantasy illustrator Michael Whelan, who also painted the Bat Out of Hell II cover. [28]
All tracks are written by Jim Steinman
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (video edit) | 7:52 |
2. | "Back into Hell" | 2:45 |
3. | "Everything Louder than Everything Else" (live) | 9:18 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (single edit) | 5:09 |
2. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (A Little Bit Longer Than The Single Edit) | 6:36 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (single edit) | 5:17 |
2. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (A Little Bit Longer Than The Single Edit) | 6:41 |
3. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (Longer Still, But Not As Long As The Album Version) | 7:41 |
4. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (album version) | 11:59 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (video edit) | 7:47 |
2. | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (down under edit) | 5:40 |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [63] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [88] | Platinum | 50,000* |
Germany (BVMI) [89] | Platinum | 500,000^ |
Netherlands (NVPI) [90] | Platinum | 75,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [91] | Platinum | 10,000* |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [92] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [93] | Platinum | 723,000 [23] |
United States (RIAA) [1] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | August 31, 1993 |
| MCA | [1] |
United Kingdom | September 27, 1993 |
| Virgin | [94] |
Japan | December 1, 1993 | Mini-CD | [95] |
A dance cover version by German Eurodance group Jam Tronik reached No. 15 on the Austrian singles chart in 1994. [96]
Michael Lee Aday, better known by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. His Bat Out of Hell album trilogy—Bat Out of Hell (1977), Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993), and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006)—has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The first album stayed on the charts for over nine years and is one of the best-selling albums in history, still selling an estimated 200,000 copies annually as of 2016.
Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell is the sixth studio album by American rock singer Meat Loaf and the second one in the Bat Out of Hell trilogy, which was written and produced by Jim Steinman. It was released on September 14, 1993, sixteen years after Meat Loaf's first solo album Bat Out of Hell. The album reached number 1 in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. Three tracks were released as singles, including "I'd Do Anything for Love ", which reached number 1 in 28 countries.
Faster Than the Speed of Night is the fifth studio album by Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler. It was released in Europe on 8 April 1983 and later that year in the US through Columbia Records.
Lorraine Crosby is an English singer and songwriter. She was the female vocalist on Meat Loaf's 1993 hit single "I'd Do Anything for Love ". Her debut album, Mrs Loud, was released in 2008.
Stuart Emerson is a background vocalist and session musician playing drums, bass, keyboards and guitar. He has worked on albums for artists including Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler.
Couldn't Have Said It Better is the eighth studio album by Meat Loaf, released in the UK on April 21, 2003. For only the third time in his career, he released an album without any songs written by Jim Steinman. Meat Loaf claimed that Couldn't Have Said It Better was "the most perfect album [he] did since Bat Out of Hell".
The Very Best of Meat Loaf is a 1998 album spanning the first 21 years of Meat Loaf's recording career. Although not reaching the top ten in the United Kingdom, it was certified double platinum there in 2013. The album features many of Meat Loaf's best-known songs as well as a few from his lesser known albums of the 1980s.
Bat out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is a live album released by singer Meat Loaf in 2004 on the Mercury and Sanctuary labels.
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now" is a power ballad written by Jim Steinman. According to Steinman, the song was inspired by Wuthering Heights, and was an attempt to write "the most passionate, romantic song" he could ever create. The Sunday Times posits that "Steinman protects his songs as if they were his children". Meat Loaf, who had collaborated with Steinman on most of his hit songs, had wanted to record the song for years, but Steinman refused, saying he saw it as a "woman's song". Steinman won a court case, which prevented Meat Loaf from recording it. Girl group Pandora's Box went on to record it, and it was subsequently made famous through a cover by Celine Dion, which upset Meat Loaf because he was going to use it for a planned album with the working title Bat Out of Hell III.
Hits Out of Hell is a 1985 compilation album by Meat Loaf. It comprises seven Jim Steinman songs. The original release also contained the hit "Modern Girl" from Bad Attitude, which came out at about the same time.
"Making Love Out of Nothing at All" is a power ballad written and composed by Jim Steinman and first released by the British/Australian soft rock duo Air Supply for their 1983 compilation album Greatest Hits. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks.
VH1: Storytellers is a live album by Meat Loaf, released in 1999. Meat Loaf told humorous stories of his career as a singer and how he unfolded into rock stardom. The DVD version has two additional songs. Some songs on the CD are taken from Meat Loaf's Hard Rock Live performance. Others were taken from the pre-show soundcheck. The album peaked at No. 129 on the Billboard 200, making it his lowest charting album in the United States.
"Bat Out of Hell" is a song written by Jim Steinman for the 1977 album Bat Out of Hell and performed by Meat Loaf. In Australia, the song was picked as the second single from the album in May 1978, accompanied by a music video. In January 1979, the song was released as a single in the UK and other European countries, and re-released in 1993.
"Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are" is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1994 as the third single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and it reached number 38 on US's Billboard Hot 100, and number 26 in the UK Top 40. With its chart success, this song became the hit with the longest un-bracketed title at fifty-two characters as of 2007. The title is derived from the safety warning on car side mirrors in the US, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear".
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" is a power ballad performed by the American musician Meat Loaf. It is a track off his 1977 album Bat Out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman. It spent 23 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 11, and earned a million-selling Gold single from the RIAA, eventually being certified platinum. It remains his second-highest-charting hit in the US, behind "I'd Do Anything for Love " (1993), and stands as one of his career signature tunes.
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" (also known as "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night)") is the first solo single by the American singer Meat Loaf, released in 1977. It is a track from his album Bat Out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman.
American singer and actor Meat Loaf (1947–2022) released twelve studio albums, five live albums, seven compilation albums, one extended play and thirty-nine singles. In a career that spanned six decades, he sold over 100 million records worldwide. According to Recording Industry Association of America, he sold 25 million certified records in the US alone.
"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through" is a song written by American composer Jim Steinman. It was first featured on Steinman's 1981 solo album Bad for Good, with lead vocals by an uncredited Rory Dodd. It was later recorded by American singer Meat Loaf and released in 1994 as the third single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell.
"I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)" is a song composed and written by Diane Warren, and recorded by Meat Loaf and Patti Russo. The song was released in October 1995 as the first single from Meat Loaf's seventh studio album, Welcome to the Neighbourhood (1995). The single release reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 13 in the United States.
Bat Out of Hell II: Picture Show is a 1994 music video by Meat Loaf. Besides the three music videos directed by Michael Bay for the singles from Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, the video contains three live performances and interviews with Meat Loaf and songwriter/producer Jim Steinman. Until the release of the 2006 Collectors Edition of Bat Out of Hell II, this was the only official release of the video clips.
Jimmy always said, 'You know what? Nobody's gonna get it.' And he was right.