Sister Morphine

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Single by Marianne Faithfull

"Sister Morphine"

US single label without Faithful's songwriting credit

Single by Marianne Faithfull
Released| 21 February 1969 (1969-02-21)
Recorded| July 1968
Genre|

* Blues rock
* folk rock

Length| 5:33
Label|

* Decca (UK)
* London (US)

Songwriter(s)|

* Marianne Faithfull
* Mick Jagger
* Keith Richards

Producer(s)| Mick Jagger

"Sister Morphine" is a song written by Marianne Faithfull, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Faithfull released the original version of the song as the B-side to her Decca Records single "Something Better" on 21 February 1969.[1] A different version was released two years later by the Rolling Stones for their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.[2]

## Recording and composition

[edit]

The personnel for the Faithfull version are Marianne on vocals, Jagger on acoustic guitar, Ry Cooder on slide guitar and bass guitar, Jack Nitzsche on piano and organ, and Charlie Watts on drums.[3] It was recorded during the Beggars Banquet sessions.

The original UK Decca single credited Faithfull as a co-writer,[1] but when London Records issued the single in the United States, her name was omitted,[4][5] as it was from the credit on Sticky Fingers. After a legal battle Faithfull retained her rights as a co-author, acknowledged by the 1994 Virgin Records reissue of the Stones' album catalogue from Sticky Fingers through Steel Wheels.[6]

The meaning of the lyrics is not clear. Initially widely interpreted as a tale of waking up after overdosing, Jagger later stated that “It’s about a man after an accident, really”, although the nature of the accident is not mentioned in the song, such as whether it was accidentally overdosing or some other accident and the person is merely craving drugs for the pain.[5] In 2018, Faithfull told writer Kris Needs that the song was “my self-portrait in a dark mirror, my miniature gothic masterpiece, my celebration of death.”[7]

## Releases

[edit]

In the United Kingdom, Faithfull's single was withdrawn by Decca due to the drug reference in the title, after an estimated 500 copies had been issued, but in other countries the single remained in release.[5] In some territories such as the Netherlands, Italy and Japan, “Sister Morphine” appeared on the A-side.[8] In addition, the French, US and Netherlands editions of the single actually featured alternate versions of both sides to the UK release.[citation needed] Faithfull performed "Something Better" sung live to a backing track at The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, but the programme was never televised and no contemporary performance of "Sister Morphine" is known.[citation needed]

Faithfull recorded the song again in 1979, during the sessions for her Broken English album, and it was subsequently released on a 7-inch and 12-inch single with "Broken English".[8] This recording appears as a bonus track on the second disc of the 2013 deluxe edition of the album.[9] The song remains a staple of her concert set-list and appeared on the live albums Blazing Away in 1990[10] and No Exit in 2016.[11]

## Rolling Stones version

[edit]

"Sister Morphine"

Song by The Rolling Stones
from the album  Sticky Fingers
Released| April 23, 1971 (1971-04-23)
Recorded| March 1969[12]
Length| 5:31
Label| Rolling Stones
Songwriter(s)|

* Jagger-Richards
* Marianne Faithfull

Producer(s)| Jimmy Miller

The Stones' version, with slightly different lyrics, featured Jagger on vocals, Richards on acoustic guitar, Cooder and Nitzsche again on slide guitar and piano respectively, Bill Wyman on bass, and Watts again on drums.[13]

Classic Rock History critic Matthew Pollard rated "Sister Morphine" as the Rolling Stones' 3rd best deep cut, saying that it's "the Stones’ murkiest song, but it’s one of their greatest."[14]

Rarely played by the Rolling Stones in concert, it was performed live during the band's 1997-1998 Bridges to Babylon Tour,[citation needed] and featured on the subsequent live album, No Security.[15]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Marianne Faithfull - Something Better / Sister Morphine (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs. Archived from the original on 16 November 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
2. ^ "Sticky Fingers - The Rolling Stones | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
3. ^ "Something Better / Sister Morphine | Marianne Faithfull Official". www.mariannefaithfull.org.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. ^ "Marianne Faithfull - Something Better". 45cat.com. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
5. ^ a b c "THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Sister Morphine» by Marianne Faithfull and The Rolling Stones". Rocking In the Norselands. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2025.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
6. ^ The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers. Virgin Records compact disc 39525-2, 1994, liner notes
7. ^ "Marianne Faithfull, 'As Tears Go By' Singer, Dies at 78". Variety. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
8. ^ a b "Something Better / Sister Morphine | Marianne Faithfull Official". Mariannefaithfull.org.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
9. ^ "Broken English [Deluxe Edition] \- Marianne Faithfull | Release Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
10. ^ "Blazing Away - Marianne Faithfull | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
11. ^ "No Exit - Marianne Faithfull | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
12. ^ Greenfield, Robert (2006). Exile on Main Street: A Season in Hell with the Rolling Stones, pp. 95–96. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81433-1.
13. ^ Sticky Fingers CD
14. ^ Pollard, Matthew (28 December 2023). "10 Rolling Stones Songs That Are Fan Favorite Deep Cuts". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
15. ^ "No Security - The Rolling Stones | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 June 2021.

* v
* t
* e

Marianne Faithfull

* Discography

Studio albums|

* Marianne Faithfull
* Come My Way
* Go Away from My World
* North Country Maid
* Faithfull Forever
* Loveinamist
* Dreamin' My Dreams
* Broken English
* Dangerous Acquaintances
* A Child's Adventure
* Rich Kid Blues
* Strange Weather
* A Secret Life
* The Seven Deadly Sins
* Vagabond Ways
* Kissin Time
* Before the Poison
* Easy Come, Easy Go
* Horses and High Heels
* Give My Love to London
* Negative Capability
* She Walks in Beauty

Live albums|

* Blazing Away
* 20th Century Blues
* No Exit

EPs|

* Go Away from My World

Singles|

* "As Tears Go By"
* "Blowin' in the Wind"
* "Come and Stay with Me"
* "Yesterday"
* "Is This What I Get for Loving You?"
* "Something Better"
* "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan"
* "Broken English"
* "Sister Morphine"

Books|

* Faithfull: An Autobiography

* v
* t
* e

Sticky Fingers

Side one|

* "Brown Sugar"
* "Sway"
* "Wild Horses"
* "Can't You Hear Me Knocking"
* "You Gotta Move"

Side two|

* "Bitch"
* "I Got the Blues"
* "Sister Morphine"
* "Dead Flowers"
* "Moonlight Mile"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

|

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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template