Michael Stipe was known for lacking narrative in his earlier songs (that's a bit of an
understatement). He would sing words (or fragments thereof) that felt or sounded right,
independent of any literal meaning. Further, as songs were composed, scrapped, and re-
composed, unrelated themes might get smashed together into one song.
The verses of Sitting Still are inspired by Stipe's sister, Cindy (or Cyndy?) who taught
deaf children. Her name is abbreviated to "C" in the second line. Also, there are
versions of the song where the full third line is "We can bind it and the sister's where
your children learn"; in most versions Stipe abbreviated the whole line, stopping at the
first syllable of "sister", leaving the rest off. So it's not "cyst" or "scythe", but
"sist".
Further, the chorus quite probably is an unrelated lyric referring to the origin of the
phrase "Katy bar the door". Background: back in 1437 a posse had gathered to murder the
King of Scotland. The bar was removed from his chamber door ahead of time to allow the
assassination. A member of the court, Catherine Douglass, put her arm in place of the
missing bar to prevent the murder of the king. Her arm was broken and the king was
murdered. Hence the reference to "the big kill" and wasting time sitting still.
understatement). He would sing words (or fragments thereof) that felt or sounded right,
independent of any literal meaning. Further, as songs were composed, scrapped, and re-
composed, unrelated themes might get smashed together into one song.
The verses of Sitting Still are inspired by Stipe's sister, Cindy (or Cyndy?) who taught
deaf children. Her name is abbreviated to "C" in the second line. Also, there are
versions of the song where the full third line is "We can bind it and the sister's where
your children learn"; in most versions Stipe abbreviated the whole line, stopping at the
first syllable of "sister", leaving the rest off. So it's not "cyst" or "scythe", but
"sist".
Further, the chorus quite probably is an unrelated lyric referring to the origin of the
phrase "Katy bar the door". Background: back in 1437 a posse had gathered to murder the
King of Scotland. The bar was removed from his chamber door ahead of time to allow the
assassination. A member of the court, Catherine Douglass, put her arm in place of the
missing bar to prevent the murder of the king. Her arm was broken and the king was
murdered. Hence the reference to "the big kill" and wasting time sitting still.