Lyric discussion by minuette 

Cover art for Sister Ray lyrics by Velvet Underground, The

These are the full, correct lyrics as I hear them:

Doug and Sally inside They're cooking for the downpipe 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 Oh, just like Sister Ray said Whip it on 'em

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 Oh, just like Sister Ray said Lay it on 'em

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 Oh, no, man, I haven't got the time time Too 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 I c-c-c-c-couldn't hit it sideways I c-c-c-c--c-couldn't, couldn't hit it sideways Oh do it do it, just j-j-j-just do it do it, just like Sister Ray said, 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 Oh, 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 Oh, just like Oh, just like Oh, just like Oh, just like...

Now Rosie and Miss Rayon They're busy waiting for her booster She's just back from Carolina She said she's bound to beat her sailor I said she hasn't got the time time Too busy sucking on my ding dong Too 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 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 Now just like, now just like, now just like Like Sister Ray said, now do it to him!

Doug and Sally inside They're busy cooking for the downpipe Who's busy staring at Miss Rayon Who's busy licking off her pigpen I'm busy searching for the mainline I couldn't hit it sideways I said I couldn't hit it sideways Now just like, now just like, I said aw, just like Amph-ph-ph-ph-ph-ph-phetamine

Lyric Correction

actually, this just after "oh just like oh just like..." and before "Now rosie and miss rayon"

Doug and Sally inside, now move it along Cooking for the downpipe Who's staring at Miss Rayon Do it do it do it do it do it Licking off her pigpen I'm s-s-s-searching for my mainline I couldn't hit it sideways I couldn't hit it sideways Just like, oh just like Oh, do it do it do it Just like, just like, just like...

I think you're correct about a lot of the changes you made. On the Quine Tapes official bootleg release there are multiple live versions of Sister Ray and the lyrics are often far more clear than they are on the album version. The live versions are of course not lyrically identical to the album version, but they're largely the same and we can extrapolate from them what the lyrics are on the studio version.

So, "dressed in pink and leather" is definitely correct, there's really no ambiguity, and it's a pretty important line. I think you're also correct about...

@minuette it's worth listening to as many live versions as u can find, cos they give insights, and show the song actually had no definitive version, with many varying raps. I hear 'cooking for their down TIME' not downpipe. Never heard of Downpipe in any slang, but down time kinda fits the sentence meaning: they're cooking a shot to enjoy some chillout time.