About The Song
Released in 1966 on the Spicks and Specks album, “I Don’t Know Why I Bother with Myself” offers a glimpse into a different side of the Bee Gees. This isn’t the high-falsetto, polyester-clad group we might associate with later years. Here, we find the brothers Gibb still very much teenagers, grappling with the complexities of young love and self-doubt.
The song opens with a simple, melancholic piano melody, setting the mood for a tale of frustration and confusion. Robin Gibb’s signature vocals, though not yet at their full powerhouse potential, carry a raw emotion that resonates.
This isn’t a heart-wrenching ballad, mind you. There’s a touch of youthful defiance in the lyrics, a “why me?” attitude that many of us can relate to. We’ve all been there – feeling like we’re constantly misunderstood, our efforts going unnoticed, and our words falling on deaf ears.
“I Don’t Know Why I Bother with Myself” captures that feeling perfectly. It’s a song for those moments when we question our own actions, wondering if it’s all worth it in the end. But within the frustration, there’s also a flicker of hope. The narrator, despite his self-deprecation, still holds onto a shred of belief that things might turn around.
So, if you’re feeling a little lost in your own world, a bit down on your luck, take a listen to this early Bee Gees gem. It’s a reminder that even the most successful musicians once grappled with the same insecurities and uncertainties that we all face. “I Don’t Know Why I Bother with Myself” might not be a disco dance floor classic, but it’s a relatable and honest song that speaks to the universal experience of growing up and figuring it all out.