In 1959, Ross was brought to the attention of Milton Jenkins, the manager of the local doo-wop group The Primes, by Mary Wilson. Primes member Paul Williams convinced Jenkins to enlist Ross in the sister group The Primettes, which included Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the female entertainer of the century. In 1993, The Guinness Book Of World Records listed her as the most successful female artist ever (the title is now attributed to Madonna), partly due to her combined total of eighteen number-one singles, six of them recorded solo and the remaining dozen from her work with the Supremes.
Ross was also one of the few pop singers to find modest success in the acting world winning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in the 1972 film, "Lady Sings the Blues" as well as having hits with other film roles such as "Mahogany", "Out of Darkness" and "Double Platinum", not to mention her role in "The Wiz".
Ross has been awarded many lifetime achievement accolades from many organizations and media outlets: she has been featured on BET, Soul Train, and awarded multiple times at the NAACP Image Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 and given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Ross' professional vocal collaborators have included the following during her career: Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Smokey Robinson, among many others.
I Can't Help Myself
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know that I love you
I can't help myself
I love you and nobody else
In and out my life (In and out my life)
You come and you go (You come and you go)
Leaving just your picture behind (Ooh)
When you snap your finger or wink your eye
I come a-running to you
I'm tied to your apron strings
And there's nothing that I can do, ooh
I can't help myself
No, I can't help myself
'Cause sugar pie, honey bunch (Sugar pie, honey bunch)
I'm weaker than a man should be
I can't help myself
I'm a fool in love, you see
Wanna tell you I don't love you
Tell you that we're through and I try
But every time I see your face (Can't help myself)
I get all choked up inside
When I call your name
Girl, it starts to flame (Burning in my heart, tearing it all apart)
No matter how I try
My love I cannot hide
'Cause sugar pie, honey bunch (Sugar pie, honey bunch)
You know that I'm waiting for you (Waiting for you)
I can't help myself
I love you and nobody else, ooh
Sugar pie, honey bunch (Sugar pie, honey bunch)
I'd do anything you ask me to (Ask me to)
I can't help myself
I want you and nobody else, ooh
Sugar pie, honey bunch (Sugar pie, honey bunch)
You know that I love you (Love you)
I can't help myself
No, I can't help myself, ooh
Sugar pie, honey bunch (Sugar pie, honey bunch)
You know that I love you
The lyrics to "I Can't Help Myself" by Diana Ross are a declaration of pure, unconditional love. The singer sings to their lover, calling them "sugar pie, honey bunch" and professing that they are unable to resist their affection. In the chorus, the singer repeats "I can't help myself" as if they are trying to convince themselves that they cannot control their love for this person.
The lyrics describe an on-again, off-again relationship. The singer sings that their lover is always coming and going, leaving only a picture behind. However, despite the inconsistency of their relationship, the singer is willing to drop everything when their lover calls. They are "tied to [their lover's] apron strings" and unable to resist their charms. Even when the singer tries to move on, they find themselves getting choked up at the sight of their lover's face.
Overall, "I Can't Help Myself" embodies the feeling of being completely swept up in love, unable to control one's emotions and actions. The sweetness and earnestness of the lyrics are perfectly complemented by Diana Ross's soulful vocals, making for a timeless love song.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, sugar pie, honey bunch
Expressing affection and love in a sweet way
You know that I love you
Confirming love for the person addressed in the song
I can't help myself
Unable to resist the strong feelings of love for the person addressed
I love you and nobody else
Exclusively in love with the person addressed
In and out my life (In and out my life)
Inconsistent presence in the singer's life
You come and you go (You come and you go)
The person addressed enters and leaves the singer's life unpredictably
Leaving just your picture behind (Ooh)
Physical absence of the person addressed
And I've kissed it a thousand times (Ooh)
The singer misses the person addressed and feels a strong desire to be close to them
When you snap your finger or wink your eye
The person addressed has power over the singer and can easily get their attention
I come a-running to you
The singer is submissive to the person addressed and quickly responds to their gestures
I'm tied to your apron strings
Metaphorically, the singer is dependent on the person addressed
And there's nothing that I can do, ooh
The singer cannot resist their strong love and attachment to the person addressed
No, I can't help myself
Reiterating the inability to control the strong feelings of love and attachment.
'Cause sugar pie, honey bunch (Sugar pie, honey bunch)
Endearing nickname for the person addressed
I'm weaker than a man should be
The strong feelings of love have made the singer vulnerable
I'm a fool in love, you see
Acknowledging that the strong feelings of love have compromised the artist's judgment
Wanna tell you I don't love you
Despite the difficulties of the situation, the singer contemplates walking away from the person addressed
Tell you that we're through and I try
Attempting to be logical and reasonable by ending the relationship
But every time I see your face (Can't help myself)
The deep feelings of love override the logical attempt to end the relationship
I get all choked up inside
The singer is overwhelmed with emotion and struggles to speak or act rationally
When I call your name
Addressing the person directly
Girl, it starts to flame (Burning in my heart, tearing it all apart)
The feeling of love is intense and all-consuming, causing emotional turmoil
No matter how I try
Despite the will to resist, the strong feelings of love persist
My love I cannot hide
The singer is unable to conceal their feelings of love
You know that I'm waiting for you (Waiting for you)
The singer is eagerly anticipating the return of the person addressed
I want you and nobody else, ooh
Reiterating that the singer is exclusively in love with and desires the person addressed
You know that I love you (Love you)
Reiterating love for the person addressed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD JR. HOLLAND, LAMONT DOZIER, BRIAN HOLLAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LaNel Muhammad
You can hear Mary’s vocals so well in this recording 😍 Heavenly voice that makes my heart melt!!!
Carol Runham
They had a GREAT VOICE 🎙️🎙️🎙️
Yvonne van Ommen-Klaassen
Beautyful song love it
DarthKato
I didn't know that the Supremes had made a cover of this song. It pretty damn good too! ^_^
Ray Sand
Didn't know either. I like.
Calvin Guile
It was on The Supremes A Go-Go 1966
frederic tassart
Their backing band, The Funk Brothers, was also the Four Tops' backing band at the time and was composed of most, if not all, of the same musicians as the original #1 single by the Four tops
Kelly Lawson
I am surprised as well. 😳
Tonga Hopoi
This was my first record growing up 🔥
foxynicey
Wonderful version of a wonderful song. Delighted to have discovered this forgotten Supremes track.