What a drag it is getting old

"Kids are different today"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though she's not really ill
There's a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day

"Things are different today"
I hear ev'ry mother say
Cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag
So she buys an instant cake and she burns her frozen steak
And goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And two help her on her way, get her through her busy day

Doctor please, some more of these
Outside the door, she took four more
What a drag it is getting old

"Men just aren't the same today"
I hear ev'ry mother say
They just don't appreciate that you get tired
They're so hard to satisfy, You can tranquilize your mind
So go running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
And four help you through the night, help to minimize your plight

Doctor please, some more of these
Outside the door, she took four more
What a drag it is getting old

"Life's just much too hard today"
I hear ev'ry mother say
The pursuit of happiness just seems a bore
And if you take more of those, you will get an overdose
No more running for the shelter of a mother's little helper
They just helped you on your way, through your busy dying day


Lyrics submitted by spliphstar

Mother's Little Helper Lyrics as written by Mick Jagger Keith Richards

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Abkco Music Inc.

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Mother's Little Helper song meanings
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  • +3
    Song Meaning

    Just want to say this because it was so obvious to me, yet it hasn't been said:

    The song is about the gradual progression of a mother's dependence on addictive pills, but in that light, it shows just how any addiction gets out of control. In the first verse, she's taking pills just to ease the pain a little bit. Nothing is too substantially impacted, though it is alluded that she does not need to take the pill ("she's not really ill").

    Then in the second verse, it begins to show he she has progressed in addiction to the point where she no longer is as excited about being a mother. Dinners begin to suffer and she rationalizes it as being tired and getting old. In the first verse, she was taking one pill ("it"). In this verse, she is taking two ("two").

    In the third verse, the addiction has progressed to the point where she is now detached and unable to love. She is now taking four pills a day. In the final verse, she no longer has any attachment to life whatsoever and only cares for her high. She is now taking more than four pills and eventually overdoses.

    It is a very dark song and really shows just how quickly addiction can spiral out of control.

    AndrewVSon January 28, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This isn't so much about "hard drugs" but perfectly legal prescription drugs (i.e. Valium) that tended to be overprescribed.

    pkjunon March 27, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    There's enough information in this song... Definately valium. Little yellow pill, plus the time the song came out (1966), and the time valium came out (1963) all point to this along with other textual clues.

    Burglewoodon January 25, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I thought it was about dexedrine (also a yellow pill). You could get speed from the chemist back then and it's nickname was 'mother's little helper' (in the early 60s, it was.) Kids would nick it from their parents cupboard.

    pandatronicon March 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this ones definitley bout the drugs

    Mr_Mojo_risingon September 25, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yeah definately about prescribed drugs and how easy it is to have acess to, as though they need it to get through each day........i dont even make sense but never mind i know what i mean

    Niamon November 30, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is an intricately ironic song...it's catchy and it hits upon a serious issue before it even was a problem. Prescription drug abuse back in the 1960's and 1970's must have not been a widely reported problem like it is now.

    OpinionHeadon January 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I'm glad my mother was never like this...thankfully I had the ultimate opiate in my life...

    OpinionHeadon February 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    there was that housewife drug back in the 60's wasnt there.....man i dont blame them if i had to come 2nd to my husband id turn to drugs

    touchmyinfectionon April 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    During industrial revolution when mom's went into factories in England, apothocaries (and factories) provided opiates...for the children! Kept them knocked out while mom was at work. It was called Mother's Helper. This is definitely about the mom taking care of her nerves though.

    Mother needs something today to calm her down And though she's not really ill There's a little yellow pill

    coo2kachooon April 13, 2005   Link

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