Brown sugar
Rolling Stones Lyrics

Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields
A slave ship heading towards cotton fields on the Gold Coast.

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

Scarred old slaver knows he's doin' all right
The slave trader is aware of the harshness of his actions but feels justified in selling slaves.

Hear him whip the women just around midnight
The sound of the slave trader whipping female slaves can be heard at midnight.

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good
The singer is asking why Brown Sugar, a black woman, is so desirable to him.

Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should
The singer finds Brown Sugar's youth and naivety appealing.

Drums beatin' cold, English blood runs hot
The Englishmen's passion is aroused by the sound of African drums.

Lady of the house wonderin' when it's gonna stop
The woman of the house is worried about the Englishmen's wild behavior.

House boy knows that he's doin' all right
The African servant in the house is comfortable with the situation and his role in it.

You should have heard him just around midnight
The house boy's satisfaction with his position is evident in his behavior at midnight.

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good
The singer is still perplexed by Brown Sugar's allure.

Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should
The singer continues to find Brown Sugar's youthful qualities attractive.

Brown Sugar, how come you dance so good
The singer is also impressed with Brown Sugar's dancing abilities.

Brown Sugar, just like a black girl should
The singer has a specific standard for black women's behavior and finds Brown Sugar to be a good example of it.

I bet your mama was a Cajun Queen,
The singer is making assumptions about Brown Sugar's background based on stereotypes of Cajun women.

And all her boyfriends were sweet sixteen
The singer also makes assumptions about Brown Sugar's mother's morally questionable behavior.

I'm no school boy but I know what I like
The singer asserts his independence in his personal preferences and desires, regardless of societal norms or expectations.

You should have heard them just around midnight
The singer is referencing the sounds of sexual activity taking place at midnight.

Brown Sugar, how come you taste so good
The singer is still unable to understand the intensity of his attraction to Brown Sugar.

Brown Sugar, just like a black girl should
The singer reinforces his belief that Brown Sugar fits his ideal of black women's behavior.

I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo
An expression of excitement and pleasure.

How come you, how come you dance so good
The singer is curious as to the reason for Brown Sugar's impressive dancing skills.

Just like a, just like a black girl should
The singer reiterates his belief that Brown Sugar's dancing is indicative of appropriate behavior for black women.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo
A repeat of the expression of excitement and pleasure.