Dan Bern
Lyric guide

Oh Sister

Read Oh Sister lyrics by Dan Bern on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Dan Bern visibility2 visits Video on page
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Dan Bern Canonical path: /dan-bern/oh-sister Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

Oh Sister

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

They say you taught me how to talk

Bet you wish you taught me how to stop

you're far away now, wish I could take a walk with you someplace

you explained me to our parents

English wasn't their first language

They spoke German, hated Germans

confusing times

Oh sister

down midwest backseat bumpy seats

you sang my beatles songs with me

I sang your Broadway melodies, bad harmony

and where would Willie Mays have been

without Jackie Robinson

and who can say what I'd been

without you to lead the way

after I showed some guys I could drink

You picked me of the lawn I think

And led me to the kitchen sink

Where I got rid of it

Some nights I lay awake in awe

As squinting through the dark I saw

You peeling off your teenage bra

The door slightly ajar

Oh sister

You lived just across the hall

For 18 summers, 18 falls

until you went away to that weird college in Wisconsin

and where would Willie Mays have been

without Jackie Robinson

and who can say what I'd been

without you to lead the way

trust yourself, and you can do anything

this I give to you

May your heart purr like a bumblebee

May all your backyards have a tree

May you always be HIV negative

I hope you meet some guy who

Treats women better than I do

I don't even care if he's a Jew or not

Oh sister

I remember in the temple hall

at out dear father's funeral you sang like a nightingale

one of his own songs

and where would Willie Mays have been

without Jackie Robinson

and who can say what I'd been

without you to lead the way

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Oh Sister"?

Dan Bern performs "Oh Sister", and this lyric page sits inside the Dan Bern catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Oh Sister"?

Yes. The related section below points to Swing Set and Carried Away with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Dan Bern?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Dan Bern's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Oh Sister yet.