Sister
Prince_______ Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was only sixteen but I guess that's no excuse
My sister was thirty-two, lovely, and loose
She don't wear no underwear
She says it only gets in her hair
And it's got a funny way of stoppin' the juice

My sister never made love to anyone else but me
She's the reason for my, uh, sexuality
She showed me where it's supposed to go
A blowjob doesn't mean blow
Incest is everything it's said to be

Oh, sister
Don't put me on the street again
Oh, sister
I just want to be your friend

I was only sixteen and only half a man
My sister didn't give a goddamn
She only wanted to turn me out
She took a whip to me until I shout
"Oh, motherfuckers just a motherfucker, can't you understand?"

Oh, sister
Don't put me on the street again
Oh, sister
I just want to be your friend
I know what you want me to do
Put me on the street and make me blue




Oh, sister
Oh, sister, oh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Prince's song "Sister" delve into a taboo subject, depicting a relationship between a brother and sister that borders on incestuous. The singer, at sixteen years of age, is younger than his thirty-two-year-old sister who shows him sexual acts and teaches him about sex, claiming that she is the reason for his sexuality. The lyrics go on to describe how the sister takes advantage of the singer, whipping him until he complies with her demands.


The song's lyrics caused quite a stir when it was released in 1980, with some people finding the content offensive and others applauding Prince's daring approach to the subject matter. Interpretations of the song vary, with some seeing it as a critique of the sexual revolution of the 60s and 70s and others seeing it as an exploration of the darker side of human sexuality.


Interestingly enough, the song was not included on Prince's album "Dirty Mind," which was released the same year. Instead, it was initially released as the B-side of the single "Controversy" and later included on Prince's 1993 compilation album "The Hits/The B-Sides."


Line by Line Meaning

I was only sixteen but I guess that's no excuse
I was young and naive, but that didn't excuse my actions.


My sister was thirty-two, lovely, and loose
My sister was much older than me and she had a carefree and flirtatious nature.


She don't wear no underwear
My sister didn't wear underwear because she felt it got in the way.


She says it only gets in her hair
She believed that wearing underwear would disrupt her hair.


And it's got a funny way of stoppin' the juice
Wearing underwear affects sexual pleasure.


My sister never made love to anyone else but me
My sister and I engaged in incestuous sexual activity.


She's the reason for my, uh, sexuality
My sister is the reason behind my sexual awakening.


She showed me where it's supposed to go
My sister taught me where to insert my penis during sex.


A blowjob doesn't mean blow
A blowjob is not actually blowing, but rather oral stimulation through sucking.


Incest is everything it's said to be
Incestuous relationships are just as taboo as they are made out to be.


Oh, sister Don't put me on the street again
I don't want to be cast out after our intimate relationship.


I just want to be your friend
I want to maintain a close relationship with my sister despite what has happened between us.


I was only sixteen and only half a man
I was young and immature, still in the process of developing as an adult.


My sister didn't give a goddamn
My sister didn't care about the consequences of our actions.


She only wanted to turn me out
My sister was focused on sexually awakening me.


She took a whip to me until I shout
She used sexual domination as part of our relationship.


"Oh, motherfuckers just a motherfucker, can't you understand?"
I am frustrated that people do not understand or accept our taboo relationship.


I know what you want me to do
I am aware of my sister's desires.


Put me on the street and make me blue
I fear that my sister will reject or cast me out if I do not submit to her demands.


Oh, sister
This is a repeated statement of affection or plea for understanding.


Oh, sister, oh
This is a further repeated statement of affection or plea for understanding.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Prince Rogers Nelson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions