About the Song

“I Can’t Help Myself” is a 1965 hit recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. Written and produced by the iconic Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, this track became one of the most well-known Motown recordings of the 1960s. It was a major hit on both the R&B and pop charts, topping the Billboard R&B chart for nine weeks and reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks in 1965. The song was named the biggest R&B single of the year by Billboard.

The song’s infectious melody and catchy chorus, with the famous “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch” refrain, helped cement the Four Tops’ place in Motown history. The song remains one of their signature hits.

Inspiration Behind the Song
Lamont Dozier, one of the songwriters behind “I Can’t Help Myself,” shared the inspiration for the song in a 2018 video for his Reimagination album. He recalled watching his grandfather flirt with women as they walked past his grandmother’s beauty shop when he was a young boy. His grandfather would greet the women with affectionate terms like “How you doin’, sugar pie?” and “Good morning, honey bunch.”

This playful, flirtatious behavior stuck with Dozier, and years later, as he sat at the piano working on new music at Motown, he was transported back to those memories. The image of his grandfather’s charm inspired the opening lines of the song, and the playful, endearing tone of the lyrics came together to create the unmistakable, soulful hit.

Legacy
“I Can’t Help Myself” became one of the Four Tops’ most enduring hits, and is widely considered one of the best songs of the Motown era. Its success on the charts solidified the Four Tops as one of the preeminent groups of the 1960s and helped shape the sound of the Motown label. The song also achieved success outside the United States, reaching No. 23 on the UK charts in 1965 and later peaking at No. 10 during its re-release in 1970.

Lyric

🎵 Let’s sing along w ith the lyrics! 🎤

Ooh, sugar pie, honey bunch
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)
And I’ve kissed it a thousand times (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 tried
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)
Can’t Help Myself
I love you and nobody else, ooh
Sugar pie, honey bunch (Sugar pie, honey bunch)
Do anything you ask me to (Ask me to)
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)
Can’t Help Myself
No, I can’t help myself, ooh