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Greek underworld
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For other uses, see Underworld (disambiguation).
Hermes Psykhopompos sits on a rock, preparing to lead a dead soul to the Underworld. Attic white-ground lekythos, ca. 450 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen (Inv. 2797)
Greek underworld
Residents
Aeacus
Angelos
Arae
Ascalaphus
Cerberus
Ceuthonymus
Charon
Erinyes
Eurynomos
Hades/Pluto
Hecate
Hypnos
Macaria
Melinoe
Menoetius
Minos
Moirai
Mormolykeia
Persephone
Rhadamanthus
Thanatos
Geography
Acheron
Asphodel
Fields
Cocytus
Elysium
Erebus
Lethe
Phlegethon
Styx
Tartarus
Famous Tartarus inmates
The Danaides
Ixion
Salmoneus
Sisyphus
Tantalus
The Titans
Tityus
Visitors
Aeneas
Dionysus
Heracles
Hermes
Odysseus
Orpheus
Pirithous
Psyche
Theseus
v
t
e
The Greek underworld, in mythology, is an otherworld where souls go after death. The original Greek idea of afterlife is that, at the moment of death, the soul is separated from the corpse, taking on the shape of the former person, and is transported to the entrance of the Underworld.[1] The Underworld itself—sometimes known as the realm of Hades—is described as being either at the outer bounds of the ocean or beneath the depths or ends of the earth.[2] It is considered the dark counterpart to the brightness of Mount Olympus with the kingdom of the dead corresponding to the kingdom of the gods.[3] Hades is a realm invisible to the living, made solely for the dead.[4]
Contents
[hide]
1 Geography
1.1 Rivers
1.2 Entrance of the Underworld
1.3 Tartarus
1.4 Asphodel Meadows
1.5 Mourning Fields
1.6 Elysium
1.7 Isles of the Blessed
2 Deities
2.1 Hades
2.2 Persephone
2.3 Hecate
2.4 The Erinyes
2.5 Hermes
2.6 Judges of the Underworld
2.7 Charon
2.8 Cerberus
2.9 Thanatos
2.10 Melinoë
2.11 Nyx
2.12 Tartarus
2.13 Achlys
2.14 Styx
2.15 Eurynomos
3 The dead
4 Greek attitudes
5 Myths and stories
5.1 Orpheus
6 See Also
7 References
8 Bibliography
Geography[edit]
Rivers[edit]
There are six main rivers that are visible both in the living world and the underworld. Their names were meant to reflect the emotions associated with death.[5]
The Styx is generally considered to be one of the most prominent and central rivers of the Underworld and is also the most widely known out of all the rivers. It's known as the river of hatred and is named after the goddess Styx. This river circles the underworld seven times.[6]
The Acheron is the river of pain. It's the one that Charon, also known as the Ferryman, rows the dead over according to many mythological accounts, though sometimes it is the river Styx or both.[7]
The Lethe is the river of forgetfulness. It is associated with the goddess Lethe, the goddess of forgetfulness and oblivion. In later accounts, a poplar branch dripping with water of the Lethe became the symbol of Hypnos, the god of sleep.[8]
The Phlegethon is the river of fire. According to Plato, this river leads to the depths of Tartarus.
The Cocytus is the river of wailing.
Oceanus is the river that encircles the world,[9] and it marks the east edge of the underworld,[10] as Erebos is west of the mortal world.
Entrance of the Underworld[edit]
Hades rock in Odyssey, Book X. Geography: Nebrodi. Situation: Between San Fratello and Caronia.
In front of the entrance to the underworld live Grief, Anxiety, Diseases, and Old Age. Fear, Hunger, Death, Agony, and Sleep also live in front of the entrance, together with Guilty Joys. On the opposite threshold is War, the Erinyes, and Eris. Close to the doors are many beasts, including Centaurs, Gorgons, the Lernaean Hydra, the Chimera, and Harpies. In the midst of all this, an Elm can be seen where false dreams cling under every leaf.
The souls that enter the Underworld carry a coin under their tongue to pay Charon to take them across the river. Charon may make exceptions or allowances for those visitors carrying a certain Golden Bough. Charon is appallingly filthy, with eyes like jets of fire, a bush of unkempt beard upon his chin, and a dirty cloak hanging from his shoulders. Although Charon embarks now one group now another, some souls he grimly turns away. These are the unburied which can't be taken across from bank to bank until they receive a proper burial.
Across the river, guarding the gates of the Underworld is Cerberus. There is also an area where the Judges of the Underworld decide where to send the souls of the person — to Elysium, the Fields of Asphodel, or Tartarus.[11]
Tartarus[edit]
While Tartarus is not considered to be directly a part of the underworld, it is described as being as far beneath the underworld as the earth is beneath the sky.[12] It is so dark that the "night is poured around it in three rows like a collar round the neck, while above it grows the roots of the earth and of the unharvested sea."[13] Tartarus is the place that Zeus cast the Titans along with his father Cronus after defeating them.[14] Homer wrote that Cronus then became the king of Tartarus.[15] While Odysseus does not see them himself, he mentions some of the people within the underworld who are experiencing punishment for their sins.
Asphodel Meadows[edit]
The Asphodel Meadows was a place for ordinary or indifferent souls who did not commit any significant crimes, but who also did not achieve any greatness or recognition that would warrant them being admitted to the Elysian Fields. It was where mortals who did not belong anywhere else in the Underworld were sent.[16]
Mourning Fields[edit]
In the Aeneid, the Mourning Fields (Lugentes Campi) was a section of the underworld reserved for souls who wasted their lives on unrequited love. Those mentioned as residents of this place are Dido, Phaedra, Procris, Eriphyle, Pasiphaë, Evadne, Laodamia, and Caeneus.[17][18]
Elysium[edit]
Elysium was a place for the especially distinguished. It was ruled over by Rhadamanthus, and the souls that dwelled there had an easy afterlife and had no labors.[19] Usually, those who had proximity to the gods were granted admission, rather than those who were especially righteous or had ethical merit. Most accepted to Elysium were demigods or heroes.[12] Heroes such as Cadmus, Peleus, and Achilles also were transported here after their deaths. Normal people who lived righteous and virtuous lives could also gain entrance such as Socrates who proved his worth sufficiently through philosophy.[12]
Isles of the Blessed[edit]
The Fortunate Isles or Isles of the Blessed were islands in the realm of Elysium. When a soul achieved Elysium, they had a choice to either stay in Elysium or to be reborn. If a soul was reborn three times and achieved Elysium all three times, then they were sent to the Isles of the Blessed to live in eternal paradise.
Deities[edit]
Hades[edit]
Hades (Aides, Aidoneus, or Haidês), the eldest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea; brother of Zeus, Poseidon,Hera,Demeter,and Hestia, is the Greek god of the underworld.[20] When the three brothers divided the world between themselves, Zeus received the heavens, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld; the earth itself was divided between the three. Therefore, while Hades' responsibility was in the Underworld, he was allowed to have power on earth as well.[21] However, Hades himself is rarely seen outside his domain, and to those on earth his intentions and personality are a mystery.[22] In art and literature Hades is depicted as stern and dignified, but not as a fierce torturer or devil-like.[21] However, Hades was considered the enemy to all life and was hated by both the gods and men; sacrifices and prayers did not appease him so mortals rarely tried.[23] He was also not a tormenter of the dead, and sometimes considered the "Zeus of the dead" because he was hospitable to them.[24] Due to his role as lord of the underworld and ruler of the dead, he was also known as Zeus Khthonios ("the infernal Zeus" or "Zeus of the lower world"). Those who received punishment in Tartarus were assigned by the other gods seeking vengeance. In Greek society, many viewed Hades as the least liked god and many gods even had an aversion towards him, and when people would sacrifice to Hades, it would be if they wanted revenge on an enemy or something terrible to happen to them.[25]
Hades was sometimes referred to as Pluto and was represented in a lighter way – here, he was considered the giver of wealth, since the crops and the blessing of the harvest come from below the earth.[26]
Persephone[edit]
The Rape of Persephone: Persephone is abducted by Hades in his chariot. Persephone krater Antikensammlung Berlin 1984.40
Persephone (also known as Kore) was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and Zeus. Persephone was abducted by Hades, who desired a wife. When Persephone was gathering flowers, she was entranced by a narcissus flower planted by Gaia (to lure her to the Underworld as a favor to Hades), and when she picked it the earth suddenly opened up.[27] Hades, appearing in a golden chariot, seduced and carried Persephone into the underworld. When Demeter found out that Zeus had given Hades permission to abduct Persephone and take her as a wife, Demeter became enraged at Zeus and stopped growing harvests for the earth. To soothe her, Zeus sent Hermes to the Underworld to return Persephone to her mother. However, she had eaten six pomegranate seeds in the Underworld and was thus eternally tied to the Underworld, since the pomegranate seed was sacred there.[28]
Persephone could then only leave the Underworld when the earth was blooming, or every season except the winter. The Homeric Hymns describes the abduction of Persephone by Hades:
I sing now of the great Demeter
Of the beautiful hair,
And of her daughter Persephone
Of the lovely feet,
Whom Zeus let Hades tear away
From her mother's harvests
And friends and flowers—
Especially the Narcissus,
Grown by Gaia to entice the girl
As a favor to Hades, the gloomy one.
This was the flower that
Left all amazed,
Whose hundred buds made
The sky itself smile.
When the maiden reached out
To pluck such beauty,
The earth opened up
And out burst Hades ...
The son of Kronos,
Who took her by force
On his chariot of gold,
To the place where so many
Long not to go.
Persephone screamed,
She called to her father,
All-powerful and high, ...
But Zeus had allowed this.
He sat in a temple
Hearing nothing at all,
Receiving the sacrifices of
Supplicating men.[29]
Persephone herself is considered a fitting other half to Hades because of the meaning of her name which bears the Greek root for "killing" and the -phone in her name means "putting to death".[21]
Hecate[edit]
Triple Hecate and the Charites, Attic, 3rd century BCE (Glyptothek, Munich)
Hecate was variously associated with crossroads, entrance-ways, dogs, light, the Moon, magic, witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants, necromancy, and sorcery.[30][31]
The Erinyes[edit]
Orestes at Delphi flanked by Athena and Pylades among the Erinyes and priestesses of the oracle, perhaps including Pythia behind the tripod – Paestan red-figured bell-krater, c. 330 BC
The Erinyes (also known as the Furies) were the three goddesses associated with the souls of the dead and the avenged crimes against the natural order of the world. They consist of Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.
They were particularly concerned with crimes done by children against their parents such as matricide, patricide, and unfilial conduct. They would inflict madness upon the living murderer, or if a nation was harboring such a criminal, the Erinyes would cause starvation and disease to the nation.[32] The Erinyes were dreaded by the living since they embodied the vengeance of the person who was wronged against the wrongdoer.[33] Often the Greeks made "soothing libations" to the Erinyes to appease them so as to not invoke the wrath of Erinyes, and overall the Erinyes received many more libations and sacrifices than other gods of the underworld.[34] The Erinyes were depicted as ugly and winged women with their bodies intertwined with serpents.[35]
Hermes[edit]
Relief from a carved funerary lekythos at Athens: Hermes as psychopomp conducts the deceased, Myrrhine, to Hades, ca 430-420 BCE (National Archaeological Museum of Athens).
While Hermes did not primarily reside in the Underworld and is not usually associated with the Underworld, he was the one who led the souls of the dead to the underworld. In this sense, he was known as Hermes Psychopompos and with his fair golden wand he was able to lead the dead to their new home. He was also called upon by the dying to assist in their passing – some called upon him to have painless deaths or be able to die when and where they believed they were meant to die.[36]
Judges of the Underworld[edit]
Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus are the judges of the dead. They judged the deeds of the deceased and created the laws that governed the underworld. However, none of the laws provided a true justice to the souls of the dead, and the dead did not receive rewards for following them or punishment for wicked actions.[37]
Aeacus was the guardian of the Keys of the Underworld and the judge of the men of Europe. Rhadamanthys was Lord of Elysium and judge of the men of Asia. Minos was the judge of the final vote.
Charon[edit]
Charon is the ferryman who, after receiving a soul from Hermes, would guide them across the rivers Styx and/or Acheron to the underworld. At funerals, the deceased traditionally had an obol placed over their eye or under their tongue, so they could pay Charon to take them across. To the Etruscans, Charon was considered a fearsome being – he wielded a hammer and was hook-nosed, bearded, and had animalistic ears with teeth.[12] In other early Greek depictions, Charon was considered merely an ugly bearded man with a conical hat and tunic.[38] Later on, in more modern Greek folklore, he was considered more angelic, like the Archangel Michael. Nevertheless, Charon was considered a terrifying being since his duty was to bring these souls to the Underworld and no one would persuade him to do otherwise.
Cerberus[edit]
Hades with Cerberus.
Cerberus (Kerberos), or the "Hell-Hound", is Hades' massive multi-headed (usually three-headed)[39][40][41] dog with some descriptions stating that it also has a snake-headed tail and snake heads on its back and as its mane. Born from Echidna and Typhon, Cerberus guards the gate that serves as the entrance of the Underworld.[21] Cerberus' duty is to prevent dead people from leaving the Underworld.
Heracles once borrowed Cerberus as the final part of the Labours of Heracles. Orpheus once soothed it to sleep with his music.
Thanatos[edit]
Thanatos is the personification of death. He guards the Doors of Death.
Melinoë[edit]
Melinoe is a chthonic nymph, daughter of Persephone, invoked in one of the Orphic Hymns and propitiated as a bringer of nightmares and madness.[42] She may also be the figure named in a few inscriptions from Anatolia,[43] and she appears on a bronze tablet in association with Persephone.[44] The hymns, of uncertain date but probably composed in the 2nd or 3rd century AD, are liturgical texts for the mystery religion known as Orphism. In the hymn, Melinoë has characteristics that seem similar to Hecate and the Erinyes,[45] and the name is sometimes thought to be an epithet of Hecate.[46] The terms in which Melinoë is described are typical of moon goddesses in Greek poetry.
Nyx[edit]
Nyx is the goddess of the Night.
Tartarus[edit]
A deep abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans,[47] Tartarus was also considered to be a primordial deity.
Achlys[edit]
Achlys is the personification of misery and sadness, sometimes represented as a daughter of Nyx, sometimes as an ancient being even older than Chaos himself.[citation needed]
Styx[edit]
Styx is the goddess of the river with the same name. Not much is known about her, but she is an ally of Zeus and lives in the Underworld.
Eurynomos[edit]
Eurynomos is one of the daemons of the underworld, who eats off all the flesh of the corpses, leaving only their bones.
The dead[edit]
In the Greek underworld, the souls of the dead still existed but they are insubstantial and they flitted around the underworld with no sense of purpose.[48] The dead within the Homeric Underworld lack menos, or strength, and therefore they cannot influence those on earth. They also lack phrenes, or wit, and are heedless of what goes on around them and on the earth above them.[49] Their lives in the underworld were very neutral, so all social statuses and political positions were eliminated and no one was able to use their previous lives to their advantage in the underworld.[37]
The idea of progress did not exist in the Greek Underworld – at the moment of death, the psyche was frozen, in experience and appearance. The souls in the Underworld did not age or really change in any sense. They did not lead any sort of active life in the Underworld – they were exactly the same as they were in life.[50] Therefore, those who had died in battle were eternally blood-spattered in the underworld and those who had died peacefully were able to remain that way.[51]
Overall the Greek dead were considered to be irritable and unpleasant, but not dangerous or malevolent. They grew angry if they felt a hostile presence near their graves and drink offerings were given in order to appease them so as not to anger the dead.[52] Mostly blood offerings were given due to the fact that they needed the essence of life to become communicative and conscious again.[37] This is shown in Homer's Odyssey, where Odysseus had to give blood in order for the souls to interact with him. While in the underworld, the dead passed the time through simple pastimes such as playing games, as shown from objects found in tombs such as dice and game-boards.[53] Grave gifts such as clothing, jewelry, and food were left by the living for use in the Underworld as well since many viewed these gifts to carry over into the Underworld.[50] There was not a general consensus as to whether the dead were able to consume food or not. Homer depicted the dead as unable to eat or drink unless they had been summoned; however, some reliefs portray the Underworld as having many elaborate feasts.[53] While not completely clear, it is implied that the dead could still have sexual intimacy with another, although no children were produced. The Greeks also showed belief in the possibility of marriage in the Underworld, which in a sense describes the Greek Underworld having no difference than from their current life.[54]
Lucian described the people of the Underworld as simple skeletons. They are indistinguishable from each other, and it is impossible to tell who was wealthy or important in the living world.[55] However, this view of the Underworld was not universal – Homer depicts the dead keeping their familiar faces.
Hades itself was free from the concept of time. The dead are aware of both the past and the future, and in poems describing Greek heroes, the dead helped move the plot of the story by prophesying and telling truths unknown to the hero.[50] The only way for humans to communicate with the dead was to suspend time and their normal life to reach Hades, the place beyond immediate perception and human time.[50]
Greek attitudes[edit]
The Greeks had a definite belief that there was a journey to the afterlife or another world. They believed that death was not a complete end to life or human existence.[56] The Greeks accepted the existence of the soul after death, but saw this afterlife as meaningless.[57] In the underworld, the identity of a dead person still existed, but it had no strength or true influence. Rather, the continuation of the existence of the soul in the Underworld was considered a remembrance of the fact that the dead person had existed, yet while the soul still existed, it was inactive.[58] However, the price of death was considered a great one. Homer believed that the best possible existence for humans was to never be born at all, or die soon after birth, because the greatness of life could never balance the price of death.[59] The Greek gods only rewarded heroes who were still living; heroes that died were ignored in the afterlife. However, it was considered very important to the Greeks to honor the dead and was seen as a type of piety. Those who did not respect the dead opened themselves to the punishment of the gods – for example, Odysseus ensured Ajax's burial, or the gods would be angered.[60]
Myths and stories[edit]
Orpheus[edit]
Orpheus, a poet and musician that had almost supernatural abilities to move anyone to his music, descended to the Underworld as a living mortal to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice after she was bitten by a poisonous snake on their wedding day. With his lyre-playing skills, he was able to put a spell on the guardians of the underworld and move them with his music.[61] With his beautiful voice he was able to convince Hades and Persephone to allow him and his wife to return to the living. The rulers of the Underworld agreed, but under one condition – Eurydice would have to follow behind Orpheus and he could not turn around to look at her. Once Orpheus reached the entrance, he turned around, longing to look at his beautiful wife, only to watch as his wife faded back into the Underworld. He was forbidden to return to the Underworld a second time and he spent his life playing his music to the birds and the mountains.[62]
See Also[edit]
Hades in Christianity
References[edit]
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ἣν παρὰ Κωκυτοῦ προχοαῖς ἐλοχεύσατο σεμνὴ
Φερσεφόνη λέκτροις ἱεροῖς Ζηνὸς Κρονίοιο
ᾗ ψευσθεὶς Πλούτων᾽ἐμίγη δολίαις ἀπάταισι,
θυμῷ Φερσεφόνης δὲ διδώματον ἔσπασε χροιήν,
ἣ θνητοὺς μαίνει φαντάσμασιν ἠερίοισιν,
ἀλλοκότοις ἰδέαις μορφῆς τὐπον έκκπροφανοῦσα,
ἀλλοτε μὲν προφανής, ποτὲ δὲ σκοτόεσσα, νυχαυγής,
ἀνταίαις ἐφόδοισι κατὰ ζοφοειδέα νύκτα.
ἀλλἀ, θεά, λίτομαί σε, καταχθονίων Βασίλεια,
ψυχῆς ἐκπέμπειν οἶστρον ἐπὶ τέρματα γαίης,
εὐμενὲς εὐίερον μύσταις φαίνουσα πρόσωπον.
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Mirtro, Marina Serena (2012). Death in the Greek world : from Homer to the classical age. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
Mikalson, Jon D (2010). Ancient Greek Religion. West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.
Mystakidou, Kyriaki; Tsilika, Eleni; Parpa, Efi; Katsouda, Elena; Vlahous, Lambros (2004–2005). "Death and Grief in the Greek Culture". Omega. Baywood Publishing Co. 50 (1): 23–34. doi:10.2190/yyau-r4mn-akkm-t496.
O’Cleirigh, Padraig, Rex A Barrell, and John M Bell (2000). An introduction to Greek mythology : story, symbols, and culture. Lewiston: Edwin Mellen Press.
Peck, Harry Thurston (1897). Harper's Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities. Harper.
Pfister, F (1961). Greek Gods and Heroes. London: Macgibbon & Kee.
Scarfuto, Christine. "The Greek Underworld". Retrieved 3 December 2012.
Schmiel, Robert (1987). "Achilles in Hades". Classical Philology. The University of Chicago Press. 82 (1): 35–37. doi:10.1086/367020. JSTOR 270025.
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text:
Standard of Ur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
The Standard of Ur
"War" panel
Material
shell, limestone, lapis lazuli, bitumen
Writing
cuneiform
Created
2600 BC
Discovered
Royal Cemetery
Present location
British Museum, London
Identification
121201
Reg number:1928,1010.3
The Standard of Ur is an artifact, a hollow wooden box measuring 21.59 centimetres (8.50 in) wide by 49.53 centimetres (19.50 in) long, inlaid with a mosaic of shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli. It comes from the ancient city of Ur (located in modern-day Iraq south of Baghdad). It dates to the Early Dynastic period and is c. 4,600 years old. The standard was probably constructed in the form of a hollow wooden box with scenes of war and peace represented on each side through elaborately inlaid mosaics. Although interpreted as a standard by its discoverer, its original purpose remains enigmatic. It was found in a royal tomb in Ur in the 1920s next to the skeleton of a ritually sacrificed man who may have been its bearer. It is now on display, in a reconstructed form, in the British Museum in London.
Contents
[hide]
1 History
2 Description
2.1 Mosaic scenes
3 Interpretations
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
History[edit]
The artifact was found in one of the largest royal tombs in Ur, tomb PG 779, associated with Ur-Pabilsag, a king who died around 2550 BC.[1] Sir Leonard Woolley's excavations in Mesopotamia in 1927–28 uncovered the artifact in the corner of a chamber, lying close to the shoulder of a man who may have held it on a pole.[2] For this reason, Woolley interpreted it as a standard, giving the object its popular name, although subsequent investigation has failed to confirm this assumption.[3] The discovery was quite unexpected, as the tomb in which it occurred had been thoroughly plundered by robbers in ancient times. As one corner of the last chamber was being cleared, a workman spotted a piece of shell inlay. Woolley later recalled that "the next minute the foreman's hand, carefully brushing away the earth, laid bare the corner of a mosaic in lapis lazuli and shell."[4]
The Standard of Ur survived in only a fragmentary condition. The ravages of time over more than four thousand years caused the decay of the wooden frame and bitumen glue which had cemented the mosaics in place. The soil's weight crushed the object, fragmenting it and breaking its end panels.[2] This made excavating the Standard a challenging task. Woolley's excavators were instructed to look for hollows in the ground created by decayed objects and to fill them with plaster or wax to record the shape of the objects that had once filled them, rather like the famous plaster casts of the victims of Pompeii.[5] When the remains of the Standard were discovered by the excavators, they found that the mosaic pieces had kept their form in the soil, while their wooden frame had disintegrated. They carefully uncovered small sections measuring about 3 square centimetres (0.47 sq in) and covered them with wax, enabling the mosaics to be lifted while maintaining their original designs.[6]
Description[edit]
The present form of the artifact is a reconstruction, presenting a best guess of its original appearance.[2] It has been interpreted as a hollow wooden box measuring 21.59 centimetres (8.50 in) wide by 49.53 centimetres (19.50 in) long, inlaid with a mosaic of shell, red limestone and lapis lazuli. The box has an irregular shape with end pieces in the shape of truncated triangles, making it wider at the bottom than at the top, along the lines of a Toblerone bar.[3]
Inlaid mosaic panels cover each long side of the Standard. Each presents a series of scenes displayed in three registers, upper, middle and bottom. The two mosaics have been dubbed "War" and "Peace" for their subject matter, respectively a representation of a military campaign and scenes from a banquet. The panels at each end originally showed fantastical animals but they suffered significant damage while buried, though they have since been restored.
Mosaic scenes[edit]
"Peace," detail showing lyrist and possibly a singer.
"War" is one of the earliest representations of a Sumerian army, engaged in what is believed to be a border skirmish and its aftermath. The "War" panel shows the king in the middle of the top register, standing taller than any other figure, with his head projecting out of the frame to emphasize his supreme status – a device also used on the other panel. He stands in front of his bodyguard and a four-wheeled chariot, drawn by a team of some sort of equids (possibly onagers or domestic asses;[7] horses were only introduced in the 2nd millennium BC after being imported from Central Asia[8]). He faces a row of prisoners, all of whom are portrayed as naked, bound and injured with large, bleeding gashes on their chests and thighs – a device indicating defeat and debasement.[3] In the middle register, eight virtually identically depicted soldiers give way to a battle scene, followed by a depiction of enemies being captured and led away. The soldiers are shown wearing leather cloaks and helmets; actual examples of the sort of helmet depicted in the mosaic were found in the same tomb.[5] The nudity of the captive and dead enemies was probably not meant to depict literally how they appeared in real life, but was more likely to have been symbolic and associated with a Mesopotamian belief that linked death with nakedness.[9]
The lower register shows four chariots, each carrying a charioteer and a warrior (carrying either a spear or an axe) and drawn by a team of four equids. The chariots are depicted in considerable detail; each has solid wheels (spoked wheels were not invented until about 1800 BC) and carries spare spears in a container at the front. The arrangement of the equids' reins is also shown in detail, illustrating how the Sumerians harnessed them without using bits, which were only introduced a millennium later.[5] The chariot scene evolves from left to right in a way that emphasizes motion and action through changes in the depiction of the animals' gait. The first chariot team is shown walking, the second cantering, the third galloping and the fourth rearing. Trampled enemies are shown lying under the hooves of the latter three groups, symbolizing the potency of a chariot attack.[3]
"Peace" portrays a banquet scene. The king again appears in the upper register, sitting on a carved stool on the left-hand side. He is faced by six other seated participants, each holding a cup raised in his right hand. They are attended by various other figures including a long-haired individual, possibly a singer, who accompanies a lyrist. In the middle register, bald-headed figures wearing skirts with fringes parade animals, fish and other goods, perhaps bringing them to the feast. The bottom register shows a series of figures dressed and coiffed in a different way from those above, carrying produce in shoulder bags or backpacks, or leading equids by ropes attached to nose rings.[3]
Interpretations[edit]
The original function of the Standard of Ur is not conclusively understood. Woolley's suggestion that it represented a standard is now thought unlikely. It has also been speculated that it was the soundbox of a musical instrument.[2] Paola Villani suggests that it was used as a chest to store funds for warfare or civil and religious works.[10] It is, however, impossible to say for sure, as there is no inscription on the artifact to provide any background context.
Although the side mosaics are usually referred to as the "war side" and "peace side", they may in fact be a single narrative – a battle followed by a victory celebration. This would be a visual parallel with the literary device of merism, used by the Sumerians, in which the totality of a situation was described through the pairing of opposite concepts.[11][12] A Sumerian ruler was considered to have a dual role as a lugal (literally "big man" or war leader) and an en or civic/religious leader, responsible for mediating with the gods and maintaining the fecundity of the land. The Standard of Ur may have been intended to depict these two complementary concepts of Sumerian kingship.[3]
External media
Audio
The Standard of Ur programme as part of the BBC's 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
Video
The Standard of Ur, Smarthistory[13]
The scenes depicted in the mosaics were reflected in the tombs where the "Standard" was found. The skeletons of attendants and musicians were found accompanying the remains of the kings, as was equipment used in both the "War" and "Peace" scenes of the mosaics. Unlike ancient Egyptian tombs, the dead were not buried with provisions of food and serving equipment; instead, they were found with the remains of meals, such as empty food vessels and animal bones. They may have participated in one last ritual feast, the remains of which were buried alongside them, before being put to death (possibly by poisoning) to accompany their master in the afterlife.[14]
See also[edit]
Ancient Near East portal
Lyres of Ur
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Hamblin, William James. Warfare in the ancient Near East to 1600 BC: holy warriors at the dawn of history, p. 49. Taylor & Francis, 2006. ISBN 978-0-415-25588-2
^ Jump up to: a b c d The Standard of Ur, British Museum. Accessed 2010-12-05.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Zettler, Richard L.; Horne, Lee; Hansen, Donald P.; Pittman, Holly. Treasures from the royal tombs of Ur, pp. 45-47. UPenn Museum of Archaeology, 1998. ISBN 978-0-924171-54-3
Jump up ^ Woolley, Leonard (1965). Excavations at Ur: a record of twelve years' work. Crowell. p. 86.
^ Jump up to: a b c Collon, Dominique. Ancient Near Eastern Art, p. 65. University of California Press, 1995. ISBN 978-0-520-20307-5
Jump up ^ Chadwick, Robert (1996). First Civilizations: Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Editions Champ Fleury. ISBN 9780969847113.
Jump up ^ Clutton-Brock, Juliet (1992). Horse Power: A History of the Horse and the Donkey in Human Societies. U.S.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-40646-9.
Jump up ^ Gates, Charles (2003). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge. p. 48. ISBN 9780415121828.
Jump up ^ Bahrani, Zainab (2001). Women of Babylon: Gender and Representation in Mesopotamia. Routledge. p. 60. ISBN 9780415218306.
Jump up ^ Settemila anni di strade. Milano: Edi-Cem. 2010.
Jump up ^ Harrison, R.K. "Genesis", p. 441 in Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (ed.), International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: E-J. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1982. ISBN 978-0-8028-3782-0
Jump up ^ Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner's Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, p. 24. Cengage Learning, 2009. ISBN 978-0-495-57360-9
Jump up ^ "The Standard of Ur". Smarthistory at Khan Academy. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
Jump up ^ Cohen, Andrew C. Death rituals, ideology, and the development of early Mesopotamian kingship: toward a new understanding of Iraq's royal cemetery of Ur, p. 92. BRILL, 2005. ISBN 978-90-04-14635-8
External links[edit]
Podcast of The Standard of Ur BBC Radio programme (mp3)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Standard of Ur.
This article is about an item held in the British Museum. The object reference is EA 121201 / Reg number: 1928,1010.3.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Standard_of_Ur&oldid=815448172"
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text:
I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"
US commercial cassette single
Single by Meat Loaf featuring Lorraine Crosby
from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell
Released
September 15, 1993
Format
Vinyl
CD
cassette
Recorded
Ocean Way Recording (Los Angeles, California, US)[1]
Genre
Progressive rock
hard rock
power ballad
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" is a song written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf with Lorraine Crosby. The song was released in 1993 as the first single from the album Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell. The last six verses feature a female singer who was credited only as "Mrs. Loud" in the album notes. She was later identified[when?] as Lorraine Crosby. However, she does not appear in the video, in which her vocals are lip-synched by Dana Patrick. Meat Loaf promoted the single with US vocalist Patti Russo.
The power ballad[2] was a commercial success, reaching number one in 28 countries.[1] The single was certified platinum in the United States and became Meat Loaf's first and only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and 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.
Contents
1 Music and lyrics
1.1 Duet coda
1.2 Perceived ambiguity of "that"
1.3 Length
2 Recording
3 Music video
3.1 Synopsis
4 Use in media
5 Track listing
6 Reception
7 Charts
7.1 Weekly charts
7.2 Year-end charts
7.3 Decade-end charts
8 References
9 External links
Music and lyrics[edit]
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. 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 sings the more familiar phrase in concert.[3]
Duet coda[edit]
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.
Woman:
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?
Man:
I can do that!
The song's tone changes for the final two sections, in which the woman, Lorraine Crosby on the original recorded version, predicts that the man would eventually do things to upset her and their relationship.[4] Both times, he denies it.
The duet part was and still is performed regularly on stage by Meat Loaf with his current featured female vocalist Patti Russo. However, with the passing years their interplay during the coda has gradually taken on ironic overtones, if not overtly comedic ones, which were totally absent from the original album version. For example, in the 2007 show 3 Bats Live, after Russo sings "After a while you'll forget everything, it was a brief interlude and a midsummer night's fling", Meat Loaf stops the band and asks her (half-sung, half-spoken): "Why do you say this to me? Why do you keep saying these things to me every single night?", and she replies innocently (again half-sung): "It's in the lyrics". More funny exchanges of the same kind occur during their other live duets, such as the famous Bat Out of Hell track "Paradise by the Dashboard Light".
Perceived ambiguity of "that"[edit]
Meat Loaf says that the question, "What is 'that'?" is one of the most popular questions he is asked.[5]
Each verse mentions two things that the man 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.[6] The four things he says he will never do are:
"forget the way you feel right now"
"forgive myself if we don't go all the way tonight"
"do it better than I do it with you"
"stop dreaming of you every night of my life"
At the song's conclusion, the woman predicts two 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, the male emphatically responds, "I won't do that!"
In his 1998 VH1 Storytellers special, Meat Loaf even explained it on stage using a blackboard and a pointing stick.[6] 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. This sense would have been more clear if the lyric had been "and I won't do that" instead of "but I won't do that." It is the use of "but" instead of "and" that leads to the ambiguity.
It sort of is a little puzzle and I guess it goes by - but they're all great things. 'I won't stop doing beautiful things and I won't do bad things.' It's very noble. I'm very proud of that song because it's very much like out of the world of Excalibur. To me, it's like Sir Lancelot or something - very noble and chivalrous. That's my favorite song on the record - it's very ambitious.[7][8]
Meat Loaf believed that the lyrics were unambiguous, but Steinman predicted that they would cause confusion.[9] An early episode of the VH1 program Pop-up Video made this claim at the end of the song's video: "Exactly what Meat Loaf won't do for love remains a mystery to this day."[10] A reviewer writing for AllMusic commented that "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."[11] 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."[4]
The phrase "I would do anything for love but I won't do that" had previously appeared as a spoken interlude in the song "Getting So Excited," released in 1985 by Bonnie Tyler in her album Faster Than the Speed of Night. In this song, the phrase's meaning is more clear: a woman is refusing an offensive proposal. Steinman produced this record and wrote many of the songs but this song is credited to Alan Gruner.
Length[edit]
Steinman's songs are usually long, and "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" is no exception.[9] The song is a full 12 minutes, and Steinman was deeply upset when executives advised him that he had to cut it down to get radio play.[9] Manager Allen Kovac warned that any song over five minutes would not be played on radio, saying that if Steinman and the group did not make the cuts then the stations would. Even after they made the cuts, Steinman sent his own version to the stations.[9]
The single version was edited down to five minutes and 25 seconds, with the motorcycle introduction omitted.[9] The video version was whittled down to seven minutes and 38 seconds, with part of the motorcycle intro remaining.[12] In the video version and single version, the lengthy instrumental break is completely omitted. In the video and single versions, the refrain is abridged as well; Lorraine Crosby sings six verses in the complete song. In the video version, the second and third verses are omitted. In the single version, the second, third, and fifth verses are omitted.
Recording[edit]
Lorraine Crosby, a singer from England, was the guest singer, though AllMusic incorrectly attributes the female vocals to Ellen Foley.[11] Crosby and her partner Stuart Emerson had moved to Los Angeles to work with Steinman, who became their manager. He 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 "I'd Do Anything for Love". 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.[13]
Cher, Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Tyler had been considered for the role.[13] 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."[14]
Music video[edit]
Michael Bay directed the music video. 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.[10] 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."[15]
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."[16] It 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."[3] It is the abridged seven-minute single version, rather than the twelve-minute (11:58) album version.
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)".[1][10] 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.[10]
Synopsis[edit]
The video's climax: Dana Patrick, as "Beauty", confronts Meat Loaf, as "The Beast"
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 through 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 he accidentally knocks down a police officer (whose shotgun goes off) and 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 3 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, pulls the chaise 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.
Use in media[edit]
In 2013, the song was covered in an M&M's commercial which aired during Super Bowl XLVII.
The song is featured in the animated comedy Sausage Party and on its soundtrack. In the film the song is performed by an anthropomorphic meatloaf caricature of the singer.[17]
It was used in a 2017 commercial for Carvana and in the trailer for the 2018 comedy Blockers.
The song also appeared on the EP Fire & Ashes by German symphonic metal band Xandria. On this version, Meat Loaf's vocal parts are done by Dianne van Giersbergen, while Lorraine Crosby's vocal parts are done by Valerio Recenti, singer of the Dutch rock band my propane.
Track listing[edit]
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.[18]
All tracks written by Jim Steinman.
UK CD single[19]
No.
Title
Length
1. "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" 7:52
2. "Back into Hell" 2:45
3. "Everything Louder than Everything Else" (live) 9:18
US 45 RPM/Cassette single
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)" (edit) 6:36
Reception[edit]
The song reached number one in the charts in 28 countries.[1] 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.[20] In the UK, it topped the singles chart, 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 1997 hit "All Around the World", clocking in at 9 minutes and 20 seconds.[citation needed]
In the UK, this was the biggest hit of 1993, selling 761,200 copies and staying at number one for seven weeks.[22] 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.
In Germany, the song is the 7th best-selling pop hymn ever.[23]
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."[11] Meat Loaf won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo for the song.[24]
Charts[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Chart (1993)
Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[25] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[26] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] 1
Canada (RPM)[28] 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[29] 4
France (SNEP)[30] 4
Germany (Official German Charts)[31] 1
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[32] 1
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)[33] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[34] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[35] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[36] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[37] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[39] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[40] 9
US Billboard Hot 100[41] 1
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[42] 2
Year-end charts[edit]
Chart (1993)
Position
Australia 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[43] 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[44] 6
United Kingdom 1
United States 36
Decade-end charts[edit]
Chart (1990–1999)
Position
US Billboard Hot 100[45] 40
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c d "Lorraine Crosby's biography". Lorraine Crosby.com. Archived from the original (archived copy from the Internet Archive) on 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
Jump up ^ "The 21 best power ballads".
^ Jump up to: a b Producers: Gina & Jerry Newson (1995-06-12). "Marketing Meat Loaf". The Music Biz. Season 1. Episode 4. BBC2.
^ Jump up to: a b Bader, Anne (2007). "Media myths in popular love songs". In Galician, Mary-Lou; Merskin, Debra L. Critical thinking about Sex, love, and romance in the mass media: media literacy applications. London: Routledge. pp. 155–6. ISBN 0-8058-5615-3.
Jump up ^ Meat Loaf (commentary) (2004). Meat Loaf Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (DVD). Melbourne: Warner Music Vision.
^ Jump up to: a b "Meat Loaf", VH1 Storytellers, [DVD]
Jump up ^ Jim Steinman (1993). Back into Hell: Meat Loaf & Jim Steinman interview (DVD). Virgin Records.
Jump up ^ "The Artist's Mind". jimsteinman.com. Retrieved 2006-10-22.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e Loaf, Meat; David Dalton (2000). To Hell and Back: An Autobiography. London: Virgin Publishing. pp. 203–4. ISBN 0-7535-0443-X. Jimmy always said, "You know what? Nobody's gonna get it." And he was right.
^ Jump up to: a b c d "Episode 5". Pop-up Video. VH1.
^ Jump up to: a b c Guarisco, Donald A. "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". Allmusic. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
Jump up ^ Video available on Bat out of Hell II: Collector's Edition, Virgin
^ Jump up to: a b Holt, Pauline (Dec 7, 2003). "All on her own". Sunday Sun. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
Jump up ^ Heatley, Michael (June 2001). "Classic careers: Bonnie Tyler". Classic Rock #28. p. 98.
Jump up ^ "Pearl Looks Forward to Future, 25 Years after Texas Chainsaw Massacre". International Cinematographers Guild. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2006-08-29.
Jump up ^ Meat Loaf (1993). Back into Hell: Meat Loaf & Jim Steinman interview (DVD). Virgin Records.
Jump up ^ "Meat Loaf Sings In 'Sausage Party' & It's As Hilarious As You'd Expect". Bustle. 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
Jump up ^ "Leavetaking". Gallery Collection. The Art of Michael Whelan. Archived from the original on 2006-11-17. Retrieved 2006-11-26.
Jump up ^ "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) [Alex CD Single] - Meat Loaf | Credits". AllMusic. 1993-10-18. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
Jump up ^ "Best-Selling Records of 1993". Billboard. BPI Communications. 106 (3): 73. January 15, 1994. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
Jump up ^ "Weekly World News". 15 (10). Dec 7, 1993: 13.
Jump up ^ "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)". songfacts.com. Retrieved 2006-08-29.
Jump up ^ "RTL Fernsehprogramm von heute - aktuelles TV Programm".
Jump up ^ "Grammy Awards: Best Rock Vocal Solo Performance". Rock on the Net. Retrieved 2006-11-26.
Jump up ^ "Australian-charts.com – Meat Loaf – I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
Jump up ^ "Austriancharts.at – Meat Loaf – I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
Jump up ^ "Ultratop.be – Meat Loaf – I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
Jump up ^ "Top Singles - Volume 58, No. 16, October 30, 1993". RPM. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
Jump up ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
Jump up ^ "Lescharts.com – Meat Loaf – I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (in French). Les classement single.
Jump up ^ "Musicline.de – Meat Loaf Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
Jump up ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (21.10.1993-27.10.1993)" (PDF) (in Icelandic). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
Jump up ^ "Irish Singles Chart – Search for song". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2011.
Jump up ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 45, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
Jump up ^ "Charts.nz – Meat Loaf – I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". Top 40 Singles.
Jump up ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Meat Loaf – I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". VG-lista.
Jump up ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Meat Loaf – I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". Singles Top 100.
Jump up ^ "Swisscharts.com – Meat Loaf – I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)". Swiss Singles Chart.
Jump up ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
Jump up ^ "Meat Loaf Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
Jump up ^ "Meat Loaf Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
Jump up ^ "Meat Loaf Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
Jump up ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
Jump up ^ "End of Year Charts 1993". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
Jump up ^ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
External links[edit]
Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
show
v
t
e
Meat Loaf
Studio albums
Stoney & Meatloaf (1971)
Bat Out of Hell (1977)
Dead Ringer (1981)
Midnight at the Lost and Found (1983)
Bad Attitude (1984)
Blind Before I Stop (1986)
Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell (1993)
Welcome to the Neighbourhood (1995)
Couldn't Have Said It Better (2003)
Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose (2006)
Hang Cool Teddy Bear (2010)
Hell in a Handbasket (2011)
Braver Than We Are (2016)
Live albums
Live at Wembley (1987)
Live Around the World (1996)
VH1: Storytellers (1999)
Bat Out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (2004)
3 Bats Live (2008)
Compilations
Hits Out of Hell (1984)
Heaven & Hell (1989)
Heaven Can Wait – The Best Ballads of Meat Loaf Vol. 1 (1996)
The Very Best of Meat Loaf (1998)
Videography
Live
Hits Out of Hell
Bad Attitude – Live!
Bat Out of Hell II: Picture Show
VH1: Storytellers
To Hell and Back
Bat Out of Hell: Live with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
3 Bats Live
Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise
Tours
The Seize the Night Tour (2006–07)
The Casa de Carne Tour (2008)
The Hang Cool Tour (2010–11)
Guilty Pleasure Tour (2011)
Mad, Mad World Tour (2012)
Last at Bat Tour (2013)
Singles
"What You See Is What You Get"
"It Takes All Kinds of People"
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth"
"Paradise by the Dashboard Light"
"Two Out of Three Ain't Bad"
"Bat Out of Hell"
"I'm Gonna Love Her for Both of Us"
"Dead Ringer for Love"
"Read 'Em and Weep"
"Peel Out"
"In Europe '82"
"If You Really Want To"
"Razor's Edge"
"Midnight at the Lost and Found"
"Modern Girl"
"Nowhere Fast"
"Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries"
"Blind Before I Stop"
"Special Girl"
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"
"Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back"
"Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through"
"Objects in the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are"
"I'd Lie for You (And That's the Truth)"
"Not a Dry Eye in the House"
"Runnin' for the Red Light (I Gotta Life)"
"A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing to Waste"
"No Matter What"
"Is Nothing Sacred"
"Did I Say That?"
"Couldn't Have Said It Better"
"Man of Steel"
"It's All Coming Back to Me Now"
"Cry Over Me"
"Los Angeloser"
Related articles
Discography
Neverland Express
Stoney & Meatloaf
Ted Nugent
Jim Steinman
Patti Russo
Shaun Murphy
Amanda Aday
Pearl Aday
show
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e
Best-selling singles by year in the United Kingdom
1952–1969
1952: "Here in My Heart" – Al Martino
1953: "I Believe" – Frankie Laine
1954: "Secret Love" – Doris Day
1955: "Rose Marie" – Slim Whitman
1956: "I'll Be Home" – Pat Boone
1957: "Diana" – Paul Anka
1958: "Jailhouse Rock" – Elvis Presley
1959: "Living Doll" – Cliff Richard (UK)
1960: "It's Now or Never" – Elvis Presley
1961: "Wooden Heart" – Elvis Presley
1962: "I Remember You" – Frank Ifield (UK)
1963: "She Loves You" – The Beatles (UK)
1964: "Can't Buy Me Love" – The Beatles (UK)
1965: "Tears" – Ken Dodd (UK)
1966: "Green, Green Grass of Home" – Tom Jones (UK)
1967: "Release Me" – Engelbert Humperdinck (UK)
1968: "Hey Jude" – The Beatles (UK)
1969: "Sugar, Sugar" – The Archies
1970–1989
1970: "The Wonder of You" – Elvis Presley
1971: "My Sweet Lord" – George Harrison (UK)
1972: "Amazing Grace" – Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (UK)
1973: "I Love You Love Me Love" – Gary Glitter (UK)
1974: "Tiger Feet" – Mud (UK)
1975: "Bye Bye Baby" – Bay City Rollers (UK)
1976: "Save Your Kisses for Me" – Brotherhood of Man (UK)
1977: "Mull of Kintyre" / "Girls' School" – Wings (UK)
1978: "Rivers of Babylon" / "Brown Girl in the Ring" – Boney M.
1979: "Bright Eyes" – Art Garfunkel
1980: "Don't Stand So Close to Me" – The Police (UK)
1981: "Tainted Love" – Soft Cell (UK)
1982: "Come On Eileen" – Dexys Midnight Runners (UK)
1983: "Karma Chameleon" – Culture Club (UK)
1984: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Band Aid (UK)
1985: "The Power of Love" – Jennifer Rush
1986: "Don't Leave Me This Way" – The Communards (UK)
1987: "Never Gonna Give You Up" – Rick Astley (UK)
1988: "Mistletoe and Wine" – Cliff Richard (UK)
1989: "Ride on Time" – Black Box
1990–2009
1990: "Unchained Melody" – The Righteous Brothers
1991: "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" – Bryan Adams
1992: "I Will Always Love You" – Whitney Houston
1993: "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" – Meat Loaf
1994: "Love Is All Around" – Wet Wet Wet (UK)
1995: "Unchained Melody" – Robson & Jerome (UK)
1996: "Killing Me Softly" – Fugees
1997: "Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997" – Elton John (UK)
1998: "Believe" – Cher
1999: "...Baby One More Time" – Britney Spears
2000: "Can We Fix It?" – Bob the Builder (UK)
2001: "It Wasn't Me" – Shaggy featuring Rikrok (UK)
2002: "Anything Is Possible" / "Evergreen" – Will Young (UK)
2003: "Where Is the Love?" – The Black Eyed Peas
2004: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Band Aid 20 (UK)
2005: "Is This the Way to Amarillo" – Tony Christie featuring Peter Kay (UK)
2006: "Crazy" – Gnarls Barkley
2007: "Bleeding Love" – Leona Lewis (UK)
2008: "Hallelujah" – Alexandra Burke (UK)
2009: "Poker Face" – Lady Gaga
2010–present
2010: "Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars
2011: "Someone Like You" – Adele (UK)
2012: "Somebody That I Used to Know" – Gotye featuring Kimbra
2013: "Blurred Lines" – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams
2014: "Happy" – Pharrell Williams
2015: "Uptown Funk" – Mark Ronson (UK) featuring Bruno Mars
2016: "One Dance" – Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla (UK)
2017: "Shape of You" - Ed Sheeran (UK)
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