It’s unlikely that anyone could have foreseen a comeback for Meat Loaf’s distinctive brand of operatic hard rock in the 1990's but Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell proved all naysayers wrong by becoming a quintuple-platinum smash. The secret to its success was that it made no attempt to tamper with the elements of his trademark style, a fact reflected by "I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)," an old-fashioned slice of metallic pomp that would have fit in just fine onBat Out Of Hell. 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. This mystery becomes clear in the second part, where the woman he loves prophesizes that once the glow of love wears off that "you’ll see that its time to move on" and "sooner or later you’ll be screwing around," an accusation that prompts him to give his titular pledge one last time. It’s an epic, wordy tale and Jim Steinman backs it up with a suitably bombastic musical accompaniment that pushes a set of yearning melodic phrases through a series of dynamic shifts that give it an epic grandeur. Meat Loaf’s recording of "I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)" fully realizes the song’s potential for epic grandeur: it starts with an intro where pounding piano lines duel with squalling guitar riffs over a rumbling beat and then alternates this style with mellow moments where the hard-hitting piano licks are fleshed out with ethereal synthesizer and choral-styled backing vocals. 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. He is also assisted by vocalist Lorraine Crosby, who matches his lung power and gives off plenty of sparks during the closing duet section. It all added up to a 12-minute epic that was gloriously silly and tremendously rousing all at once. As a result, "I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)" became a #1 hit and also spawned a Beauty And The Beast-derived video (directed by a young Michael Bay) that became an MTV favorite. It remains a classic with Meat Loaf fans because of its thoroughly classic power ballad style.