Lyrics for Sister Ray as interpreted by capitol76

Sister Ray Lyrics
Doug and Sally inside
They cookin' for the Down Pipe
Who's staring at Miss Rayon
Who's busy licking off her Pig Pen
I'm searching for my mainline
I said I couldn't hit it sideways
I said I couldn't hit it sideways
Aw just like Sister Ray said
Whip it on.

Rosie and Miss Rayon
They're busy waiting for her booster
Who just got back from Carolina
She said she didn't like the weather
They're busy waiting for her sailor
Who's big and dressed in pink and leather
He's just here from Alabama
He wants to know a way to earn a dollar
I'm searching for my mainer
I said I couldn't hit it sideways
I couldn't hit it sideways
Aw just like Sister Ray said
Lay it on him.

Cecil's got his new piece
He cocks it shoots it between three and four
He aims it at the sailor
Shoots him down dead on the floor
Oh you shouldn't do that
Don't you know you'll stain the carpet
Now don't you know you'll stain the carpet
And by the way have you got a dollar
On no man I haven't got the time-time
To busy sucking on a ding-dong
She's busy sucking on my ding-dong
Oh she does just like Sister Ray said
I'm searching for my mainline
I said c-c-c-couldn't hit it sideways
I said c-c-c-c-c-c-couldn't hit it sideways
Ah do it do it just su-su-su-suck
That's ju-ju-just excellente
Oh!

Now who is that knocking
Who's knocking at my chamber door
Now could it be the police
They come and take me for a ride-ride
Oh but I haven't got the time-time
Hey hey hey she's busy sucking on my ding-dong
She's busy sucking on my ding-dong
Aw now do it just like Sister Ray said
I'm searching for my mainline
I couldn't hit it sideways
I couldn't hit it sideways
Oh now just like
Oh just like
Ah just like
Ah just like
Oh just like
Oh just like.

Doug and Sally inside
Now move it along
Cookin' for the Down Pipe
Who's staring at Miss Rayon
Do it do it do it do it do it do it
Who's licking off Pig Pen
I'm s-s-s-searching for my mainline
I couldn't hit is sideways
I couldn't hit it sideways
Just like
Oh just like
Do it do it do it
Just like
Just like
Just like.

Now Rosie and Miss Rayon
They busy waiting for her booster
She's just back from Carolina
She said she's bound to beat a sailor
I said she haven't got the time-time
You're busy sucking on my ding-dong
You busy sucking on my ding-dong
Now just like Sister Ray said
I'm searching for my mainline
I said I couldn't hit it sideways
Whip it on me Jim
Whip it on me Jim
Whip it on me Jim
Whip it on me Jim
Said I couldn't hit it sideways
Oh do it now just like
Just like Sister Ray said.

I said now Cecil's got his new piece
He cocks it shoots it bang between three and four
He aims it at the sailor
He shoots him down dead on the floor
Oh you shouldn't do that
Don't you know you'll hit the carpet
Don't you know you'll mess the carpet.

Oh she hasn't got the time-time
Busy sucking on his ding-dong
She's busy sucking on his ding-dong
Now just like Sister Ray said
I'm searching for my mainline
Couldn't hit it sideways
Couldn't hit it sideways
And just like
And just like
And just like
S-Sister Ray said
Now do it to him.

Doug and Sally inside
They're busy cooking for the Down Pipe
Who's staring at Miss Rayon
Busy licking off her Pig Pen
I'm busy searching for my mainline
I said I couldn't hit it sideways
I said I couldn't hit it sideways
Now just like
Now just like
I said ah-uh
Just like
Amph-ph-ph-ph-phetamine.

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  • 41 Comments
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louisisgrater
04-18-2002

Rated 0 
Even if it is about drugs and oral sex with a transexual, it just might be the greatest song ever.

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Rich_M
05-27-2002

Rated 0 
I have no idea why, but I always envisioned this story taking place in a To Kill a Mockinbird-esque town (and without the transsexuals). There's a long but interesting article floating around the internet BTW which describes how the actual music of Sister Ray reflects the themes of the lyrics.

Oh, and I know Lou sings "Duck and Sally", but I've heard that it's supposed to be "Doc and Sally".

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SisterRay
07-06-2002

Rated 0 
do you have a link to that article?

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evilfishman
09-03-2002

Rated 0 
I thought it was "Doug" and Sally. If you listen to the version on, I believe, disc 1 of the Quine Tapes, Lou introduces it as a story about Doug, Sally, Cecil, and their friends.

I believe it's at the beginning of the second time through the lyrics that the music suddenly gets more spare, quick, and punchy. I think that reflects the situation getting a little more crazy, for lack of a better word.

Check out the versions on the Quine Tapes, though; they're magnificent.

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venusinfurs
09-06-2002

Rated 0 
...very true fishman...the first disc 'sister ray' is probably the best version available with the smooth ass intro...now if only their 66-68 shit was recorded...the velvets lost so much when john cale got booted...even though lou does the lyrics i always think of cale and tucker before lou and sterling when i hear about vu...wdc

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SisterRay
10-14-2002

Rated 0 
does anyone else notice the similarities in lou reed lyrics and that of camus or other existentiallist writers? in the song someone is killed and no one seems to care.

"Shoots him down dead on the floor
Oh, you shouldn't do that
Don't you know you'll stain the carpet"

lou also alludes to it a little in some kinda love when he says "like a dirty french novel, combines the absurd with the vulgar." the song talks about a careless affair somewhat like the one described in the stranger. i think the statement "no kinds of love are better than others" is also denying the existence of love whatsoever. anyone have thoughts on it?

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blondewerks
10-31-2004

Rated 0 
i think it's interesting how lou reed recycles lyrics.

for example:

in "sister ray" from "white light, white heat":

oh, but I haven't got the time time

and in "cool it down" from "loaded":

somebody's got the time time

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ZipperHead
12-27-2004

Rated 0 
Lou Reed might as well be singing the phone book - I think that the music is really the focal point. I read a LR interview where he described the recording session and how he, Sterl, and John had this one-up thing going on with volume. Rumor has it that the Jefferson Airplane (recording next door) got real bummed out by the end. Nice work, I say :-)

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Relinquo1
02-16-2005

Rated 0 
My friend says this song is about a guy who is shooting heroin into his penis while getting a blowjob.

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Eatcarpet
03-12-2005

Rated 0 
song = sex

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Eatcarpet
03-20-2005

Rated 0 
WOOOOOO this song is the best song EVER!!!!

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charrbin
04-05-2005

Rated 0 
One of the most underrated songs ever. This song is a monolith in Rock.

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LafayetteBlues
06-14-2005

Rated 0 
Quite possibly one of my favourite rock songs ever. Nothing but pure, raw, improvised rock and roll. It's too bad not many people have heard this.

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ntwjones
06-24-2005

Rated 0 
The line about knocking on the chamber door is an Edgar Allan Poe reference.

The live Joy Division version of this song is great, but not as good as the original, which is the greatest song ever precisely because it's about drugs and sexual deviancy.

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ANTWANmyMAN
07-28-2005

Rated 0 
this is a gr8 song by VU

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Bosko
09-03-2005

Rated 0 
If you want to read a literary inspiration for this song, check out "Last Exit to Brooklyn" by Hubert Selby, Jr. There's a chapter that describes a similar, sleazy situation...

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Cynothoglys
01-15-2006

Rated 0 
How much sleaze can you put int one song? This much. Surreal, rockin' proto-punk/noise epic.

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hangwire13
02-19-2006

Rated 0 
New Order covered this one live too..did a fine job, but doesnt touch the original of course :)

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The_Variable
05-09-2006

Rated 0 
You do know that New Order basically -is- Joy Division right?

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Cynothoglys
05-15-2006

Rated 0 
Yep, minus Ian Curtis (HUGE difference, not all the better, for sure).

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riot4201
05-31-2006

Rated 0 
As Lou Reed said: "'Sister Ray' was done as a joke- no, not as a joke, but it has eight characters in it and this guy gets killed and nobody does anything. It was built around this story that I wrote about this scene of total debauchery and decay. I like to think of 'Sister Ray' as a transvestite smack dealer. The situation is a bunch of drag queens taking some sailors home with them, shooting up on smack and having this orgy when the police appear."

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SMC
08-22-2006

Rated 0 
It's a Velvet Underground song. It's going to be about Sex, Drugs, Transvestites or people sending themselves to their girlfriends and then getting cut open by sheet metal cutters. Or a combination of the above

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gregorybrian
02-09-2007

Rated 0 
I think Lawrence Welk's cover of it says it best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i48BP1PUoFI

Don't blame me if you laugh yourself into spasms!

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velvu124
02-20-2007

Rated 0 
one of the greatest songs ever.

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Lt. Salt
03-16-2007

Rated 0 
every VU song has static in the back. production quality is LOOWW!!!!! good song anyways

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