by Tame Impala · 2024
The song “My Old Ways” by Tame Impala is about struggling with temptation and repeatedly falling back into self-destructive habits despite promising oneself to change.
This song has been Shazamed over 26,957 times. As of this writing, My Old Ways is ranked 187
‘My Old Ways’ by Tame Impala is a song about feeling stuck in old habits, even when you promised yourself you’d change. We’re going to explore the lyrics, emotions, and meaning behind this track, so let’s see what makes it hit home for so many people. ⬇️
️ The song sets a mood of regret, as if we’re wandering through a rainy day inside someone’s head. It tells a story of slipping, again and again, into the same patterns you swore you’d escaped.
The chorus is a confessional spiral: “I know I, I said never again / Temptation feels like it never ends.” It’s raw and circular, echoing that sinking feeling when you realize you’re right back where you started—powerless, sliding, watching yourself repeat old mistakes. We feel the exhaustion, the resignation, the almost comedic frustration of being human, always promising, always faltering, always returning.
In the verses, Tame Impala bares the struggle of relapse—“So here I am once again, feel no good / I must be out of excuses, I knew I would.” There’s an ache of disappointment tangled with self-awareness, the line “Wish I had someone else to blame” landing like a sigh after a sleepless night. When he sings, “Thought I would never go back but just this once,” we glimpse the inner bargaining, the tiny, dangerous justifications we whisper to ourselves, only to regret them moments later.
The bridge unravels with a messier, more chaotic honesty: “Always fuckin’ up to something / Ego strummin’, should be stoppin’, here goes nothing.” Suddenly, we’re tumbling downhill, swapping stories, barely coping—a confession that’s equal parts playful, tragic, and self-aware. The repetition of déjà vu isn’t just a lyric; it’s a mental rut, a loop of self-sabotage we all recognize but rarely admit out loud.
The true spark of ‘My Old Ways’ lies in its brutally honest reminder that breaking free from ourselves is never simple, and the journey is as much about stumbling as it is about trying again.
Writer(s) of My Old Ways:
