Sitting Still

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".

After learning the full line, I cannot listen to the album version of the song without

hearing the full line in my head. One such version is posted below, I highly recommend it.

As for the chorus, I've always thought it was "catch in time" not "kitchen time" or other

silliness. I assumed that when a door is held by a bar, the metal brackets that hold the

bar are called "catches". I could be way off, but it makes tons more sense to me than any

kitchen reference.

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.

Regardless of my speculation above, listening to various alternate versions of the song

(links below) offer very clear renditions of the vocal which, to me result in the following

set of lyrics:

This name I got we all agree C could stop, stop it well read We could bind it and the sist' We could gather throw a fit

Up to par and Katy bars the catch in times but not me in Sit and try for the big kill Wasting time, sitting still

I'm the sign and you can read I'm the sign and you're not deaf We could bind it and the sist' We could gather throw a fit

Up to par and Katy bars the catch in times but not me in Sit and try for the big kill Wasting time, sitting still I can hear you

This name I got we all agree C could stop, stop it well read We could bind it and the sist' We could gather throw a fit

Up to par and Katy bars the catch in times but not me in Sit and try for the big kill Wasting time, sitting still I can hear you

You can gather when I talk Talk until you're blue You could get away from me, get away from me

I'm up to par and Katy bars the catch in times but not me in Sit and try for the big kill Wasting time, sitting still I can hear you

Can you hear me?

Of course, We could bind it and the sister's where your children learn

You're the sign and we're not deaf (any variations of "you", "we", or "I" in either place)

We could gather when we talk You could gather when we talk (again any variations of "you", "we", or "I" in either place)

We could get away from you, get away from me

References: http://members.efn.org/~d_haglof/remfaq.html#thirtyone

Sister line: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2ocaJ36ajk

very clear vocal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzWtq_1YYZ4