I Touch Myself by The Divinyls

Honest.

The song I Touch Myself by Australian rock band Divinyls was released in November 1990 as the lead single from their self-titled fourth studio album, Divinyls.

The Divinyls formed in 1980 in Sydney, Australia, when vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee met and began a musical partnership.

The creation of I Touch Myself began when Amphlett and McEntee collaborated with American songwriters Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, who had co-written 'Like a Virgin' by Madonna and 'True Colors' by Cyndi Lauper.

Madonna pushed boundaries around sexuality in pop culture throughout the '80s and '90s with songs like 'Like a Virgin' (1984) and 'Justify My Love' (1990). While her approach often focused on a glamorous, sometimes controversial presentation of sexuality, I Touch Myself by The Divinyls took a different route.

I Touch Myself gets to the point and portrays intimacy as deeply personal rather than performative. Amphlett’s delivery is unfiltered and unapologetic.

"The song is about touching yourself emotionally, touching yourself physically, touching yourself spiritually—you know, touching yourself in all sorts of different ways," said Amphlett in an interview with 60 Minutes in 1991.

The math within the words

Now that the lyrical meaning of the song is known, I did some math to learn more about the song, as many of the words are repeated.

The length of I Touch Myself is approximately 3 minutes and 44 seconds (224 seconds). This is the standard duration for radio play at the time, and still remains the typical length on rock stations today. Out of the 3 minutes and 44 seconds, Amphlett sings 'I Touch Myself' for approximately 52 seconds, representing 23.21%.

The phrase 'I Touch Myself' appears 26 times in the song, and since the song contains 310 words, that means 'I Touch Myself' makes up 8.4% of the lyrics.

Lyrically:

The opening lines set the tone for the entire song, which revolves around self-love and honesty, as well as a desire to feel the way the song makes you feel when you hear it—or to be the person the singer is singing about.

"I love myself, I want you to love me
When I feel down I want you above me
I search myself, I want you to find me
I forget myself, I want you to remind me

I don't want anybody else
When I think about you I touch myself
Ah-ah-oh, I don't want anybody else
Oh-no, oh-no, oh-no"

I close my eyes and see you before me
Think I would die if you were to ignore me
A fool could see just how much I adore you
I'd get down on my knees, I'd do anything for you"

These lyrics express self-love while yearning for someone else’s affection. Amphlett sings, 'I love myself, I want you to love me' and 'When I feel down, I want you above me,' revealing emotional vulnerability and a desire for both closeness and comfort.

The repeated 'I don’t want anybody else' highlights her exclusivity, while 'When I think about you, I touch myself' adds deep sensuality, mainly with the addition of 'Ah-ah-oh.'

"You're the one who makes me come runnin'
You're the sun who makes me shine
When you're around I'm always laughin'
I wanna make you mine"

These lyrics depict someone consumed by desire but at ease with themselves. As the band explained, the song is about touching oneself emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The lines 'You're the one who makes me come runnin' / You're the sun who makes me shine' portray how the other person brings them happiness, joy, and a sense of purpose.

These are emotionally mind-blowing lyrics, brilliantly illustrated, and they made a dent in the universe at the time. They directly connect to the song's title.

"I close my eyes and see you before me
Think I would die if you were to ignore me
A fool could see just how much I adore you
I'd get down on my knees, I'd do anything for you"

The final two verses are expertly crafted and continue the desire to stay in the dream of the story. This is because the song transitions from lyrics being sung to a direct conversation spoken to you.

"Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, I don't want anybody else
When I think about you I touch myself
Ah-ah-oh, I don't want anybody else
When I think about you I touch myself, I touch myself"

and:

"I touch myself, I touch myself
(When I think about you) I touch myself, I touch myself
(I don't want anybody else) I touch myself, I touch myself
(When I think about you I touch myself) I honestly do, I touch myself
(I don't want anybody else) I touch myself, I touch myself
(When I think about you I touch myself) I honestly do, I touch myself
I touch myself
I touch myself"

So much touching, followed by 'I honestly do.'

The inclusion of "I honestly do" adds sincerity, making it feel genuine and unapologetic.

I Touch Myself had significant cultural impact and has become an anthem of self-empowerment, self-love, and confidence. The song’s music video, featuring Amphlett’s provocative performance, became memorable.

It topped charts in Australia, gained international recognition, and was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Australian Single. In addition, the song captured spot number 326 on Billboard's "500 Best Pop Songs of All Time" in 2023.

I Touch Myself's impact extended beyond its initial release. In 2014, a year after Amphlett's passing from breast cancer, the song was repurposed for the I Touch Myself Project, a breast cancer awareness campaign.