Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, so… Read Full Bio ↴Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, songwriter, musical instrument inventor and multi-instrumentalist. An indie rock icon and longtime fixture on the Boston music scene, Sandman was best known as the lead singer and slide bass player of the band Morphine.

Sandman was also known as a prominent member of the Boston blues band Treat Her Right and the founder of Hi-n-Dry, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based recording studio and independent record label.

Sandman was born into a Jewish American family in Newton, Massachusetts. He graduated from college but worked a variety of blue-collar jobs, including construction, taxi driving, and commercial fishing. Sandman once noted he would often earn considerable overtime pay, which allowed him to take leave of work and travel outside of New England to places such as rural Colorado -- the setting for a number of Treat Her Right and Morphine songs, including "Thursday", "The Jury", and "I Think She Likes Me".

Along with Morphine, which he formed in 1989, Sandman was also a member of the bands Sandman, Candy Bar, the Hypnosonics, Supergroup (with Chris Ballew), and the Pale Brothers. He also performed as a guest with the Boston jazz band Either/Orchestra.

On July 3, 1999, Sandman collapsed on stage at the Giardini del Principe in Palestrina, Latium, Italy (near Rome) while performing with Morphine. He was soon pronounced dead of a heart attack at the age of 46. Sandman was survived by his girlfriend Sabine Hrechdakian, his parents Bob and Tel Sandman, and his sister Martha Holmes. Morphine immediately disbanded following his death, though the surviving members briefly toured with other musicians, creating Orchestra Morphine as a tribute to Sandman and the band's music.

Justine
Mark Sandman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Smoke in the distance
Maybe meant to be a sign
Maybe it's just your way of tryin' to say goodbye
The room was tippin' over but
But my mind was standing still
There was sunshine drippin' off the window sill

Thats what it takes to make the flowers

Thats what it takes to make the flowers
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June

In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June
Justine

I looked it up in the dictionary
In the dictionary of dreams
The room was tippin over on page 63
The red expect a miracle guaranteed to please
And all the indicators point to you, Justine

Thats what it takes to make the flowers
Thats what it takes to make the flowers
Thats what it takes to make the flowers
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June

In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June
Justine

I had to take the train - The rain
was flooding Amsterdam
And then there was an avalanche
That covered half of France
Back at Central Station
There emerged a submarine
The captain tipped her hat at me
It was you Justine

Thats what it takes to make the flowers
Thats what it takes to make the flowers
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June

In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June
Justine

The room was tippin' over
But my mind was standin' still
There was sunshine drippin' off the window sill
So much has happened to me lately in my sleep
Now I know in June you'll be here Justine

Thats what it takes to make the flowers
Thats what it takes to make the flowers
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby
In June

In June pretty baby
In June pretty baby

In June pretty baby
In June

Overall Meaning

The Mark Sandman song "Justine" is a complex and abstract piece that touches on themes of distance, time, and the power of dreams. The song begins with the image of smoke in the distance, which could be a sign, or could simply be a way of saying goodbye. The room is tipping over, but the mind of the singer is standing still, and there is sunlight dripping off the windowsill. The repeated phrase "thats what it takes to make the flowers," seems to suggest that even in the face of chaos or confusion, beauty can still exist, and the idea of the flowers flowering in June is a metaphor for hope and renewal.

The second verse brings in the dream dictionary, with the singer looking up the meaning of the room tippinng over, and finding a miraculous solution guaranteed to please in the form of Justine. The image of the submarine and the captain tipping his hat at the end of the song create a sense of adventure and excitement, but the repeated refrain of "In June, pretty baby," reinforces the idea that time and distance are important parts of the narrative. We don't know who Justine is, or where the singer is when they see the smoke or experience the floods and the avalanche, but the sense of yearning and longing is palpable throughout.

Overall, "Justine" is a song that invites interpretation and analysis, with its poetry and imagery creating a vivid and compelling narrative that doesn't always make literal sense, but resonates on an emotional level. It's a song about the power of dreams and the possibility of hope and renewal, even in the face of confusion and chaos.

Line by Line Meaning

Smoke in the distance
There's something happening far away

Maybe meant to be a sign
Maybe it's important

Maybe it's just your way of tryin' to say goodbye
Maybe it's a way of saying farewell

The room was tippin' over but
Everything feels unsteady

But my mind was standing still
I'm trying to remain calm and stable

There was sunshine drippin' off the window sill
Despite everything, there are still moments of brightness and hope

Thats what it takes to make the flowers
It takes certain conditions for beauty to thrive

In June pretty baby
There's something special about the upcoming month

I looked it up in the dictionary
I did some research

In the dictionary of dreams
Specifically, I researched my dreams

The room was tippin over on page 63
I found something relevant within the dream dictionary

The red expect a miracle guaranteed to please
This something promising within the dream dictionary

And all the indicators point to you, Justine
This means something related to Justine, specifically

I had to take the train - The rain was flooding Amsterdam
I faced challenges to get to my destination

And then there was an avalanche That covered half of France
I encountered unexpected obstacles

Back at Central Station There emerged a submarine The captain tipped her hat at me It was you Justine
But in the end, I found Justine waiting for me

The room was tippin' over But my mind was standin' still There was sunshine drippin' off the window sill
Again, I feel unsteady but I'm trying to remain calm and positive

So much has happened to me lately in my sleep
I've been through a lot of emotional experiences recently

Now I know in June you'll be here Justine
But I have hope for a positive outcome in June, when Justine will be present

Contributed by Noah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Chief Scar

13y↑6

Great bass line.

Laura de Santomé

11y↑3

Maravillosa la música del Sr. Sandman :)

Álvaro Olvera

¡Qué alegría que sí sobrevivió al resfriado y no haya muerto aquel lunes 23 de septiembre!

Booshank23

So damn funky this one. Mark Sandman's entire output feels as if it was made for precisely my spirit. Flawless in conception, speaks to me like no other. Been hooked ever since I first discovered Morphine some 12 years ago. Only wish he could have remained with us much longer than he did, but he lived a sublime life and beautified so many other people's. Thank you.