"Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)" is a song featured in the 1985 film The Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The song was composed by Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton, with lyrics by Jones, Temperton, and Lionel Richie. It was performed by Táta Vega, who played the role of Shug Avery, a blues singer and friend of the protagonist Celie Harris Johnson, played by Whoopi Goldberg. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1986, but lost to "Say You, Say Me", also written by Richie.
Background[]
The song is a tribute to Celie's sisterhood and resilience, as she faces abuse, racism, and sexism in the early 20th century rural Georgia. It is sung by Shug to Celie at a juke joint, where Celie joins her on stage and plays the piano. The song expresses Shug's admiration and respect for Celie, who has written the lyrics for her. It also defies the men who have mistreated them, especially Celie's husband Albert, also known as Mister, played by Danny Glover.
The song was also featured in the 2023 film adaptation of the musical version of The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule and produced by Spielberg, Jones, Winfrey, and others. The film stars Fantasia Barrino as Celie, Taraji P. Henson as Shug, Colman Domingo as Mister, and H.E.R. as Squeak. The musical film follows the same plot as the 1985 film, but incorporates songs from the Broadway musical, which was composed by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray, with a book by Marsha Norman. The musical film was released on December 25, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Lyrics[]
Mm-mhm, mhm
Mm-mhm, mhm
Sister, you've been on my mind
Oh, sister, we’re two of a kind
So, sister, I'm keepin' my eyes on you
I bet you think I don’t know nothing
But singin' the blues
Oh, sister, have I got news for you
I'm somethin'
I hope you think that you're something too
Oh, scufflin', I been up that lonesome road
And I've seen a lot of suns goin' down
Oh, but trust me
No low life’s gonna run me around
So let me tell you something
Sister, remember you name
No twister gonna steal your stuff away
My sister, we sure ain’t got a whole lot of time
So shake yo' shimmy, sister
'Cause, honey, the Shug is feeling fine
Oh, yeah