The members of The Shake Spears left Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) for Europe in 1964 after accepting a sponsorship from the Belgium newspaper 'Het Laatste Nieuws'. Up until then the band had enjoyed moderate success in their home country as The Dynamics. Once in Belgium, they were signed to the independent record label Ronnex and changed their name. In 1965, The Shake Spears moved to England where Gene Latter joined the group. He left the band ay year later to pursue a solo career.
Mother's Little Helper
Gene Latter Lyrics
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"Things are different today,"
I hear ev′ry mother say
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though she's not really ill
There′s a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of her mother's little helper
"Things are different today,"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Cooking fresh food for a husband′s just a drag
So she buys an instant cake and she buys a frozen steak
And goes running for the shelter of her mother′s little helper
And to help her on her way, get her through her busy day.
Doctor, please, some more of these
Outside the door, she took four more
What a drag it is getting old.
"Men just aren't the same today,"
I hear ev′ry mother say
They just don't appreciate that you get tired
They′re so hard to satisfy. You can tranquilise your mind
So go running for the shelter of your mother's little helper
And four help you through the night, help to minimise your plight.
Doctor, please, some more of these
Outside the door, she took four more
What a drag it is getting old.
Life′s just much too hard today,"
I hear ev'ry mother say
The pursuit of happiness just seems a bore
And if you take more of those, you will get an overdose
No more running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
They just helped you on your way through your busy dying day.
The song "Mother's Little Helper" by Gene Latter is a commentary on the struggles of being a mother in the 1960s. The lyrics describe a world where mothers are overwhelmed with the demands of taking care of their families and keeping up with societal expectations. The line "Things are different today" is repeated throughout the lyrics, emphasizing how much the role of women has changed since previous generations.
Mothers are depicted as feeling lonely, unappreciated, and lacking in support. The line "Mother needs something today to calm her down" expresses the need for a respite from the stresses of motherhood. The "little yellow pill" refers to the common use of prescription medications, such as Valium, to ease anxiety and depression. The chorus, "And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day", highlights the idea that these pills are seen as a necessary tool to cope with the demands of motherhood.
The song also touches on the struggles of maintaining a home and pleasing a husband. The lines "Cooking fresh food for a husband’s just a drag / So she buys an instant cake and she buys a frozen steak" illustrate the pressure of fulfilling traditional gender roles. The use of the phrase "mother's little helper" implies that these pills are being used for more than just medicinal purposes – they are a coping mechanism for the pressures and expectations placed on women.
Line by Line Meaning
What a drag it is getting old.
Growing old is tedious.
"Things are different today,"
I hear ev′ry mother say
Mothers today experience things differently.
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though she's not really ill
There′s a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of her mother's little helper
And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day.
Mothers often need a small tranquilizer to help them relax and get through their hectic day-to-day lives.
"Men just aren't the same today,"
I hear ev′ry mother say
They just don't appreciate that you get tired
They′re so hard to satisfy. You can tranquilise your mind
So go running for the shelter of your mother's little helper
And four help you through the night, help to minimise your plight.
Women feel underappreciated by men who fail to acknowledge their exhaustion. To ease their worries, they may take four tranquilizers to relax and sleep better.
Life′s just much too hard today,"
I hear ev'ry mother say
The pursuit of happiness just seems a bore
And if you take more of those, you will get an overdose
No more running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
They just helped you on your way through your busy dying day.
Modern society creates too many hardships for women. If they take too many tranquilizers, they risk overdosing - it's better to face life's challenges head-on rather than relying on pills to help them cope until the end of their lives.
Writer(s): KEITH RICHARD, MICK JAGGER
Contributed by Gavin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.