Rooted in blues and early rock and roll, the Rolling Stones started out playing covers and were at the forefront of the British Invasion in 1964, becoming identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. They then found greater success with their own material, as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965), "Get Off of My Cloud" (1965), and "Paint It Black" (1966) became international number-one hits. Aftermath (1966) – their first entirely original album – is considered by The Daily Telegraph to be the most important of their formative records. In 1967, they had the double-sided hit "Ruby Tuesday"/"Let's Spend the Night Together" and experimented with psychedelic rock on Their Satanic Majesties Request. They returned to their rhythm and blues roots with hit songs such as "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968) and "Honky Tonk Women" (1969), and albums such as Beggars Banquet (1968), featuring "Sympathy for the Devil", and Let It Bleed (1969), featuring "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Gimme Shelter". Let It Bleed was the first of five consecutive number-one albums in the UK.
Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor. That year they were first introduced on stage as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World". Sticky Fingers (1971), which yielded "Brown Sugar" and included the first usage of their tongue and lips logo, was their first of eight consecutive number-one studio albums in the US. Exile on Main St. (1972), featuring "Tumbling Dice", and Goats Head Soup (1973), yielding the hit ballad "Angie", were also best sellers. Taylor was replaced by Ron Wood in 1974. The band continued to release successful albums, including their two largest sellers: Some Girls (1978), featuring "Miss You", and Tattoo You (1981), featuring "Start Me Up". Steel Wheels (1989) was widely considered a comeback album and was followed by Voodoo Lounge (1994), a worldwide number-one album. Both releases were promoted by large stadium and arena tours, as the Stones continued to be a huge concert attraction; by 2007 they had recorded the all-time highest-grossing concert tour three times, and as recently as 2021 they were the highest-earning live act of the year. From Wyman's departure in 1993 to Watts' death in 2021, the band continued as a four-piece core, with Darryl Jones playing bass on tour and on most studio recordings, while Steve Jordan became their touring drummer following Watts' death. Their 2016 album, Blue & Lonesome, became their twelfth UK number-one album.
The Rolling Stones' estimated record sales of 200 million make them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The band has won three Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Billboard magazine and Rolling Stone have ranked the band as one of the greatest of all time.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones
Studio albums
The Rolling Stones / England's Newest Hit Makers (1964)
12 X 5 (1964)
The Rolling Stones No. 2 / The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965)
Out of Our Heads (1965)
December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965)
Aftermath (1966)
Between the Buttons (1967)
Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
Beggars Banquet (1968)
Let It Bleed (1969)
Sticky Fingers (1971)
Exile on Main St. (1972)
Goats Head Soup (1973)
It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974)
Black and Blue (1976)
Some Girls (1978)
Emotional Rescue (1980)
Tattoo You (1981)
Undercover (1983)
Dirty Work (1986)
Steel Wheels (1989)
Voodoo Lounge (1994)
Bridges to Babylon (1997)
A Bigger Bang (2005)
Blue & Lonesome (2016)
Hackney Diamonds (2023)
Sister Morphine
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me, sister Morphine, when are you coming round again?
Oh, I don't think I can wait that long
Oh, you see that I'm not that strong
The scream of the ambulance is sounding in my ears
Tell me, sister Morphine, how long have I been lying here?
What am I doing in this place?
Why does the doctor have no face?
Oh, I can't crawl across the floor
Ah, can't you see, Sister Morphine, I'm trying to score
Well it just goes to show
Things are not what they seem
Please, sister Morphine, turn my nightmares into dreams
Oh, can't you see I'm fading fast?
And that this shot will be my last
Sweet cousin Cocaine, lay your cool cool hand on my head
Ah, come on, sister Morphine, you better make up my bed
'Cause you know and I know in the morning I'll be dead
Yeah, and you can sit around, yeah and you can watch all
The clean white sheets stained red
The Rolling Stones's song Sister Morphine is a haunting depiction of addiction and the desperation that grips someone caught in its clutches. The lyrics describe an unnamed narrator lying in a hospital bed, begging for the relief that only drugs can bring. The singer addresses Sister Morphine, a personification of the drug, as if she were a comforting companion capable of easing his pain. He is so consumed by his addiction that he is unable to move or function without the drug, and he is resigned to the fact that his next hit will likely be fatal.
The singer's reflection on his situation is poignant and full of despair. His cry for help is met with silence, and his confusion about his circumstances only adds to his misery. He is trapped in a cycle of addiction that has rendered him powerless and vulnerable, and the only comfort he can find is in his dependence on the drug. In the final verse, the singer turns to sweet cousin Cocaine, another drug that he hopes will offer him relief from the pain and uncertainty of addiction. But despite his desperate pleas, he knows that he is on a one-way path towards destruction.
Overall, Sister Morphine is a powerful reminder of the destructive nature of addiction and the toll it can take on those who fall victim to it. The song is a haunting portrayal of the despair, confusion, and desperation that can accompany addiction, and it serves as a striking warning about the dangers of falling into its grasp.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I lie in my hospital bed
The singer is currently in the hospital, likely due to drug use.
Tell me, sister Morphine, when are you coming round again?
The singer is asking for more drugs (Morphine) to help ease the pain and make them feel better again.
Oh, I don't think I can wait that long
The singer is impatient and unable to handle the pain they are currently experiencing.
Oh, you see that I'm not that strong
The singer is admitting to their weakness and inability to handle the situation on their own.
The scream of the ambulance is sounding in my ears
The singer can hear the sound of an ambulance, likely indicating that someone else is in trouble due to drug use.
Tell me, sister Morphine, how long have I been lying here?
The singer is disoriented and cannot keep track of time due to the drugs they have taken.
What am I doing in this place?
The singer is questioning why they are in the hospital and how they got there.
Why does the doctor have no face?
The singer is hallucinating due to the drugs they have taken and cannot see the doctor's face clearly.
Oh, I can't crawl across the floor
The singer is too weak and tired to move, likely due to the effects of the drugs.
Ah, can't you see, Sister Morphine, I'm trying to score
The singer is begging for more drugs (Morphine) in order to satisfy their addiction and feel better.
Well it just goes to show
This line serves as an interlude.
Things are not what they seem
The singer is acknowledging that their drug use has led to a distorted reality and perception of the world around them.
Please, sister Morphine, turn my nightmares into dreams
The singer is once again begging for more drugs (Morphine) in order to escape their current reality and find comfort in a dream state.
Oh, can't you see I'm fading fast?
The singer is admitting that they are quickly losing strength, likely due to the drugs they have taken.
And that this shot will be my last
The singer is aware that the drugs they are currently taking could kill them.
Sweet cousin Cocaine, lay your cool cool hand on my head
The singer is referencing another drug (Cocaine) and is seeking comfort from it.
Ah, come on, sister Morphine, you better make up my bed
The singer is requesting more drugs (Morphine) to help ease the pain and ease them into a drug-induced sleep.
'Cause you know and I know in the morning I'll be dead
The singer is acknowledging that their drug use is dangerous and could lead to their death.
Yeah, and you can sit around, yeah and you can watch all
This line serves as an interlude.
The clean white sheets stained red
The singer is referencing their own potential death and the blood that will likely stain the white sheets in their hospital room.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Marianne Faithfull, Michael Philip Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hugo ache
Here I lie in my hospital bed
Tell me, Sister Morphine, when are you coming round again?
Oh, I don't think I can wait that long
Oh, you see that I'm not that strong
The scream of the ambulance is sounding in my ears
Tell me, Sister Morphine, how long have I been lying here?
What am I doing in this place?
Why does the doctor have no face?
Oh, I can't crawl across the floor
Ah, can't you see, Sister Morphine, I'm trying to score
Well it just goes to show
Things are not what they seem
Please, Sister Morphine, turn my nightmares into dreams
Oh, can't you see I'm fading fast?
And that this shot will be my last
Sweet Cousin Cocaine, lay your cool cool hand on my head
Ah, come on, Sister Morphine, you better make up my bed
Cause you know and I know in the morning I'll be dead
Yeah, and you can sit around, yeah and you can watch all the
Clean white sheets stained red.
daniele marola
The Rolling Stones- Sister Morphine
Here I lie in my hospital bed
Tell me, Sister Morphine, when are you coming round again?
Oh, I don't think I can wait that long
Oh, you see that I'm not that strong
The scream of the ambulance is sounding in my ears
Tell me, Sister Morphine, how long have I been lying here?
What am I doing in this place?
Why does the doctor have no face?
Oh, I can't crawl across the floor
Ah, can't you see, Sister Morphine, I'm trying to score
Well it just goes to show
Things are not what they seem
Please, Sister Morphine, turn my nightmares into dreams
Oh, can't you see I'm fading fast?
And that this shot will be my last
Sweet Cousin Cocaine, lay your cool cool hand on my head
Ah, come on, Sister Morphine, you better make up my bed
'Cause you know and I know in the morning I'll be dead
Yeah, and you can sit around, yeah and you can watch all the
Clean white sheets stained red
BEAR OCMCC
A musical masterpiece. Stick those headphones in, turn it up loud and lay back eyes closed and just listen.
Ronald Chappell
Yes !
Will B
Bang … cooders on the slide
Zack Zallie
When Charlie came in with the thunderous drum beat, it's when the song bursts into climax. RIP, the groove guy.
Danijel_2850
Why are you always on these songs?
Glory to heroin!!!
Travis Lane Adams
That rush of drums makes the song! One of the best drum pieces in rock music history!
Joelle Benoit
You missed 3 others musicians.
Tom Mitchell
Was fortunate enough to see them live 3 times- Tour of the Americas and a couple over venues..Charlie Watts was Always one 1⃣ my favs
MJ
I think it’s the best Charlie Watts track. And he doesn’t play for 1/2 of it.
Eric Beaulieu
One of the most emotionally true,hard-hitting and gritty realisticly songs EVER released.God Bless The Stones.