It’s a truly sad fact that when I get to the chorus of this wonderful song, the lyrics that run through my mind are these: “I can’t help myself…. it’s Duncan Hines and nobody else!”
I guess there aren’t enough talented jingle writers out there for companies to pay for original tunes to sell their products. So instead they pony up the cash for classic songs, and all the memories and associations they carry, and co-opt them to peddle underwear and cake mix. Capitalism at its worse… when everything is for sale, is nothing sacred?
At the same time, I imagine Duncan Hines paid a pretty penny for the rights to ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ and who am I to judge the song’s owner for accepting that windfall? I wonder if The Four Tops had any say in the matter. It could be that not one Top was consulted.
If I’d written a classic song but later fallen on hard times, and some car, computer or food company offered me a million dollars for the rights, I can’t say for sure that I’d turn them down in the name of artistic integrity. But I like to think I’d at least save my sell-outs for products I enjoy. Coke, but never Pepsi.
On a related note, if any musicians out there would like their work featured as a Song of the Day, e-mail me. $100 for a single day, $450 for a theme week.
You know that I love you
I can’t help myself
I love you and nobody else
In and out my life
You come and you go
Leaving just your picture behind
And I kissed it a thousand times
When you snap your fingers
Or wink your eye
I come a running to you
I’m tied to your apron strings
And there’s nothing I can do
Ooh, sugar
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’ve tried
But every time I see your face
I get up all choked up inside
When I call your name, girl
It starts the flame burning in my heart
Tearin’ it all apart
No matter how I try
My love I cannot hide
Sugar pie honey bunch
You now that I’m weak for you
I can’t help myself
I love you and nobody else
Sugar pie honey bunch
I’ll do anything you ask me to
I can’t help myself
I want you and nobody else
Sugar pie honey bunch
You know that I love you
I can’t help myself
Meet Me In Montauk 
The song link is missing, but, luckily, I have no problem playing this song in my head. I don’t recall the Duncan Hines commercial, but perhaps that purveyor of confections is the “Coke’ equivalent for the Four Tops. We can hope. I do have an association with this song that I can’t place at the moment. A film scene? Television show? It’s driving me nuts. Oh well. Fun song. And good luck selling those theme week rights 🙂
Oh, and the song link is back. This is great, as my mind’s version wasn’t quite as satisfying as the original.
I suspect that none of these Motown artists owned the publishing rights to their songs. They were probably owned by Barry Gordy. I don’t remember the Dunkin Hines commercial, but i will concede that my first memory of Heard it Through the Grapevine came through the Fruit of the Loom commercial.:)
I must go now and mail you a check for the Dana Gallup songs theme week. But $100 a song? Can a brother-in-law get a discount? What up?