Brown Sugar
Rolling Stones(롤링 스톤즈) Lyrics


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Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields
Sold in the market down in New Orleans
Scarred old slaver knows he's doin' all right
Hear him whip the women just around midnight

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good
Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should
Drums beatin' cold, English blood runs hot
Lady of the house wonderin' when it's gonna stop
House boy knows that he's doin' all right
You should have heard him just around midnight

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good
Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should

Brown Sugar, how come you dance so good
Brown Sugar, just like a black girl should

I bet your mama was a Cajun Queen,
And all her boyfriends were sweet sixteen
I'm no school boy but I know what I like
You should have heard them just around midnight

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good
Brown Sugar, just like a black girl should

I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo
How come you, how come you dance so good
Yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo




Just like a, just like a black girl should
Yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to “Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones tell an uncomfortable story of the transatlantic slave trade and the ongoing exploitation of black women. The opening lines describe a slave ship that is headed for the cotton fields of the Gold Coast. From there, the slaves are sold in the markets of New Orleans. The singer notes that the slaver who sells the slaves is “doin’ all right” despite his horrific work. He then portrays the slaver as sadistic when he “whips the women just around midnight.”


Next, the singer introduces the titular “brown sugar,” a young black girl who is known for her taste and her dancing. The English in the song may be a reference to the band’s own identity, as they are known for their blues-rock fusion. The song’s narrator is commenting on the exploitation of black women by both slave traders and white slave owners, as well as the fetishization of black female bodies. The lyrics use the metaphor of a “sweet sixteen” to show how young the brown sugar girl is, as well as hinting at the predatory nature of the white men who would pursue her.


Overall, “Brown Sugar” is a song that reveals the dark and problematic history of American slavery and racism. The Rolling Stones are known for tackling controversial topics in their lyrics, and this song is no exception. It is a powerful work that illustrates the horrors of the slave trade and the ongoing exploitation of black bodies by white men.


Line by Line Meaning

Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields
A slave ship from the African Gold Coast was headed to the United States to transport slaves to the cotton fields.


Sold in the market down in New Orleans
The slaves were sold in the market located in the city of New Orleans.


Scarred old slaver knows he's doin' all right
The old slave trader, who has probably done this many times before, knows he is making a good profit and is therefore satisfied.


Hear him whip the women just around midnight
The slave trader is heard whipping the women slaves during their hard work, most likely at midnight.


Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good
Brown Sugar is addressed as a metaphor for a black female slave, whose taste has become appealing to the white slave owner, as a result of their mutual sexual relationship.


Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should
Brown Sugar is said to taste like a young girl, probably referring to the preference for young, under-aged girls of the white slave owners who sexually prefer prepubescent girls.


Drums beatin' cold, English blood runs hot
The cold beats of the African drums and music serve to excite the hot English blood of white slave owners.


Lady of the house wonderin' when it's gonna stop
The white slave owner's wife is wondering when her husband will stop his sexual and physical abuse towards the black female slaves.


House boy knows that he's doin' all right
The male slave, who is a house servant and may be responsible for watching over white children, knows he is doing okay in his given responsibilities.


You should have heard him just around midnight
The house boy may have participated in the sexual relations between the white male slave owner and the black female slaves, possibly around midnight.


Brown Sugar, how come you dance so good
Brown Sugar, the black female slave, is praised for her enticing dancing abilities, which probably seduce their slave owners further.


Brown Sugar, just like a black girl should
The phrase 'just like a black girl should' alludes to the objectification of black women, who were viewed as objects of sexual pleasure and were expected to behave accordingly in order to satisfy their white slave owners.


I bet your mama was a Cajun Queen,
It is suggested that Brown Sugar's mother was from the Cajun ethnicity, possibly indicating a diverse ancestry.


And all her boyfriends were sweet sixteen
The song implies that Brown Sugar's mother had sex with younger, underaged boys, perpetuating the notion of the sexualization of young girls and perpetuating the cycle of abuse.


I'm no school boy but I know what I like
The lyricist highlights his preference for sex with black women, despite not being highly educated on formal schooling.


You should have heard them just around midnight
The phrase repeats the earlier lyrics, reiterating the possibly sexual act of the white slave owners with the black female slaves.


I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo
This phrase emphasizes the sexual excitement of the artist with regards to Brown Sugar, the black female slave.


How come you, how come you dance so good
The singer is further impressed with Brown Sugar's dancing abilities, which may fuel his sexual arousal.


Just like a, just like a black girl should
The phrase repeats from earlier, depicting the expectation of black women's behavior, perpetuating the objectification and suffering of these women.


Yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo
The phrase repeats the excitement and sexual arousal of the artist towards Brown Sugar.




Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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