Get into Meat Loaf's "I Would Do Anything for Love" with this lyrical analysis to uncover hidden meanings and timeless themes ...

But for one musician, the history of the tune, which was written by composer Jim Steinman, is as torn as the dark love ballad’s lyrics. Meat Loaf was the one who was supposed to have sung that song.

Calling on his background in theater, Meat Loaf approached each song by dissecting the lyrics as an actor would a script. "I've never asked Jim why he wrote a song," he says with pride.

Bonnie Tyler's career exploded when she recorded the '80s power ballad that Meat Loaf has said was originally meant for him Rachel DeSantis is a senior writer on the music team at PEOPLE.