Can't Help Myself
Flowers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Keep my car on the left side,
couldn’t you bail me out?
Left mine to stage right,
promise you’ll wake me up?
Talk in floods, in analog,
I can’t be by myself.
Leak my blood, come patch me up,
I can’t be by myself.
Keep eyes
on the landslide,
wouldn’t you pull me out?




Stay tight to the fault line,
shouldn’t you stay for now?

Overall Meaning

In Flowers's song "Can't Help Myself," the lyrics depict a sense of aimlessness and boredom that the singer feels in their life. The lines "Been walking around in a daze all my life / I know I'm very plain and boring" suggest that the singer feels uninspired and unremarkable. They long to have some sort of direction or purpose and find themselves following others who seem to have it all figured out. The lines "Tell me, what should I do next? / I'm bored, I need a useless task" highlight the singer's lack of direction, and they seek any sort of occupation or task to occupy their mind and prevent themselves from becoming sad.


The repeated phrase "When I see the future / I'm not here" adds to the overall feeling of detachment and uncertainty the singer feels. The idea that they don't see themselves in their own future suggests a lack of control and a sense of being lost in their own life. The chorus, "Help me to help myself / If I get a job I can be someone else / And stop my mind wandering / And getting sad" hints at the singer's desire to break free from their current state and find a sense of purpose and stability in a job or some sort of occupation.


Overall, Flowers's lyrics in "Can't Help Myself" express a relatable feeling of aimlessness and uncertainty in life. The singer longs for some direction and purpose, and seeks any sort of task or occupation to occupy their mind and prevent themselves from becoming sad. The repeated phrase "When I see the future / I'm not here" adds to the overall sense of detachment and uncertainty the singer feels, and the chorus hints at their desire to break free from their current state and find a sense of stability and purpose in a job or occupation.


Line by Line Meaning

Been walking around in a daze all my life
I feel like I've been blindly moving forward without any purpose or direction for as long as I can remember.


I know I'm very plain and boring
I'm aware that I don't have any particularly unique or interesting qualities that make me stand out from the crowd.


I just follow the people who look like they know where they're going
I tend to follow others who seem confident and like they have a clear sense of what they're doing, even if it means sacrificing my own desires and goals.


Tell me, what should I do next?
I'm at a loss for what to do with my life and need guidance or direction from others.


I'm bored, I need a useless task
I'm looking for something to fill my time, even if it doesn't have any real purpose or benefit.


To stop my mind wandering
I need to distract myself from my own thoughts and anxieties, which can be overwhelming at times.


And getting sad.
These thoughts and feelings can often lead to depression or feelings of hopelessness.


When I see the future
When I try to imagine what my life will look like in the future.


I'm not here
I feel disconnected from myself and my own emotions, as well as from the world around me.


Help me to help myself
I need support and guidance in order to figure out what I want and how to achieve it.


If I get a job I can be someone else
I believe that finding a job or career path will help me transform into a different person, one who is more confident and content.


And stop my mind wandering
By having a job to focus on, I hope to prevent my thoughts from wandering and getting stuck in negative patterns.


And getting sad.
I hope that having a job will also improve my overall mood and give me a sense of purpose and fulfillment.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ed Tullett

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@justinmorgan2126

"Can't Help Myself"

She comes walking down the street
That's the kind, hey,
That's the kind I want to meet
I think I'm making it up
I should be putting it down
and it's beginning to show
I get it fixed in my head
and it won't let go

Oh, I can't help myself
when I feel this way
I want to be someone else
When I get this feeling
it gets in my system
I can't put the brakes on

Now she's walking next to me
that's the place, yeah,
that's the place I want to be
I think I'm making it up
I should be putting it down
and it's beginning to show
I get it fixed in my head
and it won't let go



All comments from YouTube:

@johnkauppi7078

Totally 80's cool. What a great decade we Gen X's lived in ! I've never really left it.

@Him_He_Me

Man so many great songs on this album!!!!!

@Armourlego

The older I get the more I relate to this awesome song.... Icehouse are a quintessentially perfect Australian band. The echo effect of their tracks is so reminiscent of the sound of Australia. Vast & deep. Just so f@&king good.

@peterthomas6486

Mate, when I was 15-16 when this came out, it was like I discovered a new religion, it completely blew me away, bought both their first 2 singles and the album, I feel, Aussie music sort of turned a new leaf with this band.

@Scotty-P

Last night on a bus home, three different Indians yammering away on their phones. I whistle to try and drown out the one closest to me. Up at the back of the bus a fellow begins; in an even better move, playing this on his phone to do the same. It's bittersweet; to say the very least, what the sound of 'Australia' is like now.

@MegaDRjohn

its... flowers... icehouse was later

@rickydumas9994

Same band, they had to change the name during their first UK tour due to a legal challenge from Scottish band The Flowers.

@rachelled6763

I think I was 13 and the first Flowers song I heard and was instantly in love with Iva Davies. He really is a stunning frontman. Now I'm older, I am awed by the talent of the band, the musicianship, songwriting. Icehouse were one of the very best of the new wave/punk era in Oz. So glad to have grown with them. 🩷🩷

@Theire1

I grew up in Buttcrack Ohio and when i wanted this album I went to the local record store . They did not have it but ordered it for me . I could pick it up in a month.... kids have it too easy now lol

@RekimNZ

Watched this awesome rock band play at Mornington Racecourse (Feb, 2024, Red Hot Summer Tour) sounded just perfect ! - So glad I have heard this live now !

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