Doo-pah-tum-ka-kum-bah-pah-ta-da-da
Non-lyrical opening of the song

Ah yeah
Expression of agreement, excitement or anticipation

Oh yeah
Expression of agreement, excitement or anticipation

I'm up on the eleventh floor And I'm watching the cruisers below He's down on the street And he's trying hard to pull sister Flo
Narrator is on the 11th floor and sees a man trying to seduce a woman named Sister Flo

Oh, my heart's in the basement My weekend's at an alltime low 'Cause she's hoping to score So I can't see her letting him go
Narrator's spirits are low as Sister Flo is seeking attention from the man on the street

Walk out of her heart Walk out of her mind Oh, not her She's so swishy in her satin and tat In her frock coat and bipperty-bopperty hat Oh God, I could do better than that Oh, yeah
Narrator imagined himself with Sister Flo, but finds her fashion and style lacking

She's an old-time ambassador Of sweet talking, night walking games Oh and she's known in the darkest clubs For pushing ahead of the dames If she says she can do it Then she can do it, she don't make false claims But she's a queen and such a queen Such a laughter is sucked in their brains
Sister Flo is described as an experienced and confident woman who is a trendsetter and can captivate people

Now she's leading him on And she'll lay him right down Yes, she's leading him on And she'll lay him right down But it could have been me Yes, it could have been me Why didn't I say? Why didn't I say? No, no, no
Sister Flo is seducing the man on the street and the narrator regrets not making a move earlier

So I lay down a while And I gaze at my hotel wall Oh, the cot is so cold It don't feel like no bed at all
Narrator is feeling lonely and uncomfortable in his hotel room

Yeah, I lay down a while And look at my hotel wall And he's down on the street So I throw both his bags down the hall And I'm phoning a cab 'Cause my stomach feels small There's a taste in my mouth And it's no taste at all It could have been me Oh yeah, it could have been me Why didn't I say? Why didn't I say? No, no, no
Narrator watches as the man takes Sister Flo back to his hotel and regrets not making a move earlier. He throws the man's bags and decides to leave the hotel, feeling sick and disappointed

She's so swishy in her satin and tat In her frock coat and bipperty-bopperty hat Oh God, I could do better than that
Narrator repeats earlier sentiments about Sister Flo's fashion and style

Oh you betcha Oh yeah Uh-huh Mmm
Closing of the song with various expressions of agreement and affirmation