6 replies to this topic

[Elsie]

Does anyone know the backstory of this song? She says "you might be 25, but in my mind..." so I am guessing she wrote it when she was 17/18 about the guy Frank was about who was 7 years older. Is there anything else you know about the song?

[PabloD]

I think it is about the "older" guy she was dating while she was working at the press agency were she worked while writting Frank.

[Elsie]

Yeah I know that, but it sounds like he was also an addict of some sort (bloodshot eyes, we all become what we once hated), just my impression. I was thinking how it's a shame she hadn't stuck to this philosophy with Blake, it sounds like something a clearheaded Amy would write after finding out he was an addict. Shame she was too infatuated.

[ILoveAmyWinehouse]

Yeah I know that, but it sounds like he was also an addict of some sort (bloodshot eyes, we all become what we once hated), just my impression. I was thinking how it's a shame she hadn't stuck to this philosophy with Blake, it sounds like something a clearheaded Amy would write after finding out he was an addict. Shame she was too infatuated.

Good point! I often thing this too when I listen to "Help Yourself".

[SarahMermaid]

Help Yourself is one of my favourite songs from Frank. I wonder why Amy didn't seem to like it though? I would have loved to have heard her sing it live!

[aries_124]

^ love help yourself too, its a real shame that she never performed it live. would've sounded epic with a live band

[ILoveAmyWinehouse]

I'm gonna post here exactly what I wrote in the other thread about Frank/Help Yourself/ Live performance:

I have my own opinion about why she didn't sing "help yourself" live or why she probably didn't like it altogether. Whenever I hear this song, I think it's ironic. Like, Amy was writing about her ex but the song ended up being more reflective of herself. For instance:

"Darling they empathise
Looking through your bloodshot eyes
And I know you you're so frustrated
Above we all become what we once hated"

So, Amy became a drug addict when she used to be against class A drugs. "We all become one we once hated"

"I can't help ya if you won't help yourself
I can't help ya if you don't help yourself
You can only get so much from someone yeah
You can get so much from me
I can't help ya if you won't help yourself"

Obviously, her parents and close friends did try to help her with her addictions but she didn't want to help herself.

"Cos it's where you're at not where you've been...You might be twenty-five but in my mind
I see you at sixteen years or most of the time
And I'm just a child and you're full grown
And no I'm nothing like I've ever known yeah
I'm nothing like I've ever known"

She used to have a strong personality, but it's where she was at when she died not how she used to been. When she was 25 she was going through some rough stuff with Blake, recovery, addiction, depression, etc... Sometimes acting pre-mature.

So, this is just my opinion. I love this song too but sometimes I feel so bad hearing her sing those lines because she was so strong during her Frank era. She ended up becoming everything she sang especially "we all become what we once hated".