Oh, sister, when I come to lie in your arms
You should not treat me like a stranger.
Our Father would not like the way that you act
And you must realize the danger.

Oh, sister, am I not a brother to you
And one deserving of affection?
And is our purpose not the same on this earth,
To love and follow his direction?

We grew up together
From the cradle to the grave
We died and were reborn
And then mysteriously saved.

Oh, sister, when I come to knock on your door,
Don't turn away, you'll create sorrow.
Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore
You may not see me tomorrow.


Lyrics submitted by WriterOfFictions

Oh, Sister song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    I hope everyone knows this song is by Bob Dylan, and if so I don't know why it's on this site under Andrew Bird, it's not as if he needs a false reputation is it?

    When thinking about this song it's important to understand the lexicon of the times it was written in. 'Sister' was a groovy way of addressing any female whom one was conversing with regardless of any degree of intimacy, but clearly here the 'sister' is a lover of the song writer.

    The song references the holiness of love and that the purpose, after all, of our journey on Earth is to love one and other, according to all scriptures and any sermon you listen to, clearly Dylan is drawing parallels with the 'higher' Platonic love, and actually probably singing about an instance where the two are inseparable.

    Bullitzon November 06, 2011   Link

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