Flaws

Album: 24 HRS (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The 24 HRS album was written by Olly Murs in the aftermath of split from his girlfriend of three years, Francesca Thomas. On this vulnerable, minimal piano ballad, Murs wails, "I'm in chains while you're breaking free, and it's killing me."

    "Flaws is a song I'm really proud of," he told the BBC. "I know that in my ex-relationship I wasn't perfect. I did cause arguments. She caused arguments. We all have things that we don't like about each other."

    Murs added: "But on that song, instead of pointing the finger at her, I'm pointing it at myself and saying 'I'm not great. I've let myself down.'"
  • Olly Murs hit rock bottom after splitting from Francesca Thomas, but it proved to be something of a blessing as the breakup inspired much of 24 HRS.

    "Going in the studio in February was really time for me to talk about what I was feeling and what I was thinking. It was definitely therapy for me. It made me realise a lot of things," Murs explained to The Sun. "For example, on the song Flaws, I realized I'm not perfect. It's easy for you in a relationship to blame the other person but sometimes it takes a man to realize it wasn't just them. I can hold my hands up and accept that."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Early Days of MTV

Early Days of MTVFact or Fiction

If you can recall the days when MTV played videos, you know that there are lots of stories to tell. See if you can spot the real ones.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.