Sister Christian
Oh the time has come
And you know that you're the only one
To say okay
Where you going
What you looking for
You know those boys
Don't want to play no more with you
It's true

You're motoring
What's your price for flight
In finding mister right
You'll be alright tonight

Babe, you know
You're growing up so fast
And mama's worrying
That you won't last
To say let's play
Sister Christian
There's so much in life
Don't you give it up
Before your time is due
It's true
It's true yeah

Motoring
What's your price for flight
You've got him in your sight
And driving through the night

Motoring
What's your price for flight
In finding mister right
You'll be alright tonight

Motoring
What's your price for flight
In finding mister right
You'll be alright tonight

Motoring
What's your price for flight
In finding mister right
You'll be alright tonight

Sister Christian
Oh the time has come
And you know that you're the only one
To say okay
But you're motoring
Yeah motoring


Lyrics submitted by grouping

Sister Christian Lyrics as written by Kelly Keagy

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC

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Sister Christian song meanings
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42 Comments

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  • +8
    General Comment

    "Time has come", "Only one" - perhaps she is the last girl in the neighborhood left without a life partner. Hence she is a bit lost between her dreams and desires. And because of her stubbornness and maybe age as well, boys are avoiding her.

    "Motoring" - for me it means she's driven by something. Driven like determined victim looking for justice, or addicted person in need of a drug. And she is paying an extremely high price for allowing herself to be driven by illusion, and that price is her youth, her life. She's driven by her fantasy about Mr Right. But it's just a mere illusion and the singer is trying to help her get real by saying - you'll be all right with some 'average' guy. "Tonight" means now, not in some distant future.

    The force of illusion, of fantasy about vague Mr. Right is so strong, that she is missing plenty of opportunities in her life, and that is starting to worry her mother.

    She is still young enough to get happy, fulfilled life, but lives a life of resignation almost like an old woman, whose time is due.

    The singer is trying to help her see the reality and abandon treacherous illusions. The dreams she pursue are reality in front of her. She just needs to open her eyes. And heart.

    "Christian" - for me it is quite personal, as I saw many religious or rather overly pious religious devoted girls living that illusionary way, missing opportunities. And perhaps "Sister Christian" is slowly taking a life-path of a spinster...

    Although she is told how dangerous her lifestyle is, she doesn't care and still engages in such a illusionary way of living.

    LordBanteron May 16, 2009   Link
  • +5
    My Opinion

    When I was little I thought the lyrics were, "Motorhead, whats your price tonight" so I always thought it was about a biker prostitute. Then, this song was playing on the radio speakers at a convenience store while I was waiting to use the bathroom on a road trip, while standing in line with about 15 haggard/scary/stereotypical butch biker chicks. So I felt my misinterpretation was justified in some way in the universe.

    lamesson October 13, 2011   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I figure it's about like "what's your price for flight" I mean.... what are you going to give in exchange to be happy? One of those.... if you were going to be happy for the rest of your life, would you shoot your dog, or something. I think of it as more like an older sibling telling the younger sister yeah you are going to have to figure out how far you're going to go to get the perfect guy, but don't settle, and don't wait forever. But now's not the time to worry about it. There's my 2 cents.

    mongoosestalkeron December 17, 2007   Link
  • +2
    My Interpretation

    "Motorin" for me is driving alone almost everywhere, not knowing where to go. Which is why the singer then ask "What you're lookin' for?"

    I think so too, "What's your price for flight" means what can convince her to get off her bike (which she is driving alone and it's her decision where to go), and aboard to the flight that life has to offer.

    Clearly the singer is just concerned of her, time is running and she's not getting any younger "Before your time is due"

    Blindpenon February 24, 2015   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I would have thought it's a song about a dude being protective of his little sister who's just getting old enough to be screwed every which way by the big bad boys of the world.

    But maybe I'm depraved.

    Bassmongeron June 04, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i have absolutely no bloody idea about what this song means. i used to think it was about this girl (sister christian) who was dying, of like aids or cancer or something...then i used to think it was that she was pregnant...i dont know...do you know?

    Desaparecidaon April 26, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it's about the dude who wrote it's little sister.. they misinterpreted the lyrics. it's supposed to be "sister Christy" but other than that, Bassmonger is right.

    dementiaon November 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Its so obvious that it is about a girl who is hitting puberty and the boys don't want to PLAY they want to REALLY GO AT IT! And the guys like telling her that shes like a plane - she can either stay here and deal with it or fly away and find a real guy.

    LovelyShiksaon December 18, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's about the lead singer giving advice to his little sister. Motoring is what you might call cruising around with your friends or something. I heard the song was originally called "Sister Christy" but when he sang it his words ran together so they just changed it to Christian.

    Wurby Tictocon June 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I loved this song ever since I saw Boogie Nights. It plays at the end, when the main characters are trying to sell bogus coke to some dealer guy. They are scared to death because everyone in the room has a semi-automatic pistol on them and they are basically trying to con them. The characters' careers have dried up and all that's left is their coke addiction. This song reminds me of my older brother, who in the same time period as the movie (mid 80's) also had a debilitating coke addiction. The scene--and the song--perfectly encapsulates what I remember of him at the time. Nihilistic, addicted, and terribly, terribly scared. I was only 6 or 7 at the time, he was 16 or 17, but he was unforgettable. Our parents, I learned later, fully believed he would overdose and die any day. There was an overwhelming depression in our home that I can feel in this song.

    Compounding it for me is the song's title, and the way it is addressed to a little sister. To me it is a terribly sad song. Life whittled down into pusuit of an addiction--Everyone around you getting mentally ready to mourn your death--not even really wanting to live anymore..while your little sister takes it all in without comprehending.

    So I feel better now that I've shared what this song means to me with the entire world. I'm not sure how many people will read it. Maybe Night Ranger--who are probably a bunch of geriatric Q-tips by now with nothing better to do than surf the 'net looking for evidence of their greatness, will read this and be pleased.

    So I'm not sticking to the lyrics really but just what it means to me. And the funny thing is, apparently the vast majority of the world has forgotten about this song, judging from the scarcity of posts about it on this site. I don't own it on CD, however, my husband is a bartender and I will go have a drink while he's working and almost always play this on the Juke. Drives all the regulars crazy. People ten years older than me have said it reminds them of slow-dancing in high school. Funny that it could mean something so trite to one person while for me I nearly cry every time I hear it.

    Ok I'm done now.

    alicekon April 04, 2006   Link

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