Brother Louie
The Quireboys Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

She was black as the night
Louie was whiter than white
Danger danger when you've tasted brown sugar
Louie fell in love overnight
Nothing bad it was good
Louie had the best girl that he could
When he took her home to meet his momma and papa
Louie knew just where he stood

Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie you're gonna cry

Gonna cry baby, alright

There he stood in the night
Knowing what's wrong from what's right
He took her home to meet his momma and papa
Man he had a terrible fight
Louie really caused a scene
Wishing it was a dream
Aint no difference between black and white
Hey brothers you all know what I mean

Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie you're gonna cry

Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie you're gonna cry

Gonna cry baby, alright

Louie Louie Louie Louie
Louie you're gonna




Louie you're gonna
Louie you're gonna cry

Overall Meaning

The Quireboys' "Brother Louie" is a song about interracial love and the difficulties that come along with it in some societies. The song is sung as a first-person narrative about a man named Louie who falls in love with a black woman. Louie is initially thrilled with his new relationship, but he later faces opposition from his family and friends due to the racial differences. The lyrics express this dilemma through the metaphor of brown sugar, which represents the allure of interracial relationships that can be dangerous.


The line "She was black as the night, Louie was whiter than white" describes the physical differences between the couple, but also suggests the cultural differences that may exist between them and the people around them. The chorus, which repeats the line "Louie you're gonna cry", is a warning about the consequences of interracial love in some societies where it is still taboo. The line "Ain't no difference between black and white, hey brothers you all know what I mean" is a message of unity and acceptance, encouraging people to embrace love regardless of race.


Overall, "Brother Louie" is a powerful statement about the complexities of interracial love and the challenges that people face in society when they choose to pursue such relationships.


Line by Line Meaning

She was black as the night
The girl that Louie fell in love with had dark skin.


Louie was whiter than white
Louie had very pale skin.


Danger danger when you've tasted brown sugar
Louie was warned about the potential dangers of dating someone of a different race.


Louie fell in love overnight
Louie quickly and deeply fell in love with the girl.


Nothing bad it was good
Louie didn't think there was anything negative about his relationship with the girl - he thought it was perfect.


Louie had the best girl that he could
Louie believed that the girl he loved was the best possible partner he could have.


When he took her home to meet his momma and papa
Louie introduced the girl to his parents.


Louie knew just where he stood
Louie was confident and self-assured in his relationship with the girl.


Louie Louie Louie Louie
Repetition of Louie's name.


Louie you're gonna cry
Louie will be upset or heartbroken about something.


There he stood in the night
Louie was outside, likely after a confrontation.


Knowing what's wrong from what's right
Louie knew what he believed to be right and wrong.


Man he had a terrible fight
Louie got into a heated argument or physical altercation.


Louie really caused a scene
Louie's behavior was disruptive and drew attention.


Wishing it was a dream
Louie wished that what had just happened wasn't real.


Aint no difference between black and white
Louie believed that there was no inherent difference between people of different races.


Hey brothers you all know what I mean
Louie is speaking to his peers, likely other men, and asking if they understand his perspective.




Writer(s): Guy Bailey Copyright: Attack Music Publishing Ltd.

Contributed by Christopher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@susanhanson9013

STILĹ GREAT.......❤❤

@ariefrudolfjunus1780

Still relevant till these days

@duncan3998

1993 muffled

@martinusgroninger1875

The best version of this song is by Hot Chocolate ( + Alex's Korner) unfortunately not released in the USA , where 5he Stories had a mega hit with their cover. This cover doesn't add anything new to the song, so I hope they enjoyed it. I didnt

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