Lyrics to the Rolling Stone's Brown Sugar (1 Viewer)

[The Stars Tremble]

Just because a song is about something, doesn't mean it's advocating for it.

Sex is good (certainly to the Stones) and talking about sex between slaves and masters really is pretty close to advocating it.

 

[RF667799]

Sex is good (certainly to the Stones) and talking about sex between slaves and masters really is pretty close to advocating it.

No. Coerced sex is not good.

 

[Loulit01]

By the way it's skydog slaver, not scarred slaver.

Jagger sang it both ways. He wrote the song in Australia with "scarred old slaver." Later, while recording at Muscle Shoals, Alabama, he saw Duane Allman's nickname and stuck it in.

Here's the whole story:

Revisiting the Rolling Stones' Controversial 'Brown Sugar'

The Rolling Stones released 'Brown Sugar' in the U.K. on April 16, 1971.

ultimateclassicrock.com

I loved the song, it had a great beat and was easy to dance to. I was vaguely aware what it was about, but didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics. Back in the day I never considered it to be offensive to black women. Now I see it as the pervasive callousness of the times. The Viet Nam war was raging, and everyone was angry and outspoken. We've come a long way musically over the decades. This song will go down in history along with many songs that were produced without the benefit of much consideration...

 

[The Stars Tremble]

No. Coerced sex is not good.

Well that's my point. I'm disagreeing (mildly) with this:

Just because a song is about something, doesn't mean it's advocating for it.

How are the Stones NOT advocating sex between master and slave? They're presenting it as fun, some degree of awesome, a silver lining on slavery if you will.

Britain outlawed slavery by acts of Parliament. It's not surprising that Brits don't have the sensitivity to the moral wrong of slavery that Americans do.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

3 pages and no one brought up the egregious, outrageous, sexist, racist and violence glorifying lyrics of rap music??
Which happens to be VERY popular music Gen Zs are listening to?
Which just goes to show you the absolute cluelessness of most people.

 

[Allan]

Oh yeah...I love seeing reactions from young people when they hear some the GREAT music that I heard when I was their age or younger. It's a shame, in a way. I lived that music. They are just now discovering it. But it's also heart warming that these young people can really appreciate stuff that is decades old.

I went to a Stones concert. It was fantastic to see the age range in the crowd. Three generations of fans.

 

[Real blank]

I never really knew what the songs was about though it was before my time. I guess they would say it isn’t condoning more condemning slavery, although it’s an upbeat song and apparently was originally called black *****

 

[DrewPaul]

Oh yeah...I love seeing reactions from young people when they hear some the GREAT music that I heard when I was their age or younger. It's a shame, in a way. I lived that music. They are just now discovering it. But it's also heart warming that these young people can really appreciate stuff that is decades old.

I heard one person in his early twenties admit the music today is shit. He doesn't even bother listening to new songs coming out. He was enjoying the music from 30 or more years ago. One guy said he'd seen the Rolling Stones tongue trademark everywhere and never realized it was connected to a band.

 

[DrewPaul]

I went to a Stones concert. It was fantastic to see the age range in the crowd. Three generations of fans.

My brother went to see them about 2 years ago and said they were better than when he saw them 30 ago. I said they ought to be better they've been practicing for the past thirty years.

 

[Real blank]

I heard one person in his early twenties admit the music today is shit. He doesn't even bother listening to new songs coming out. He was enjoying the music from 30 or more years ago. One guy said he'd seen the Rolling Stones tongue trademark everywhere and never realized it was connected to a band.

I’m in my 30s but I’ve always listened to older music as well as new until a few years ago when the new went.

 

[DrewPaul]

3 pages and no one brought up the egregious, outrageous, sexist, racist and violence glorifying lyrics of rap music??
Which happens to be VERY popular music Gen Zs are listening to?
Which just goes to show you the absolute cluelessness of most people.

That should be a thread by itself.

 

[j brown's body]

3 pages and no one brought up the egregious, outrageous, sexist, racist and violence glorifying lyrics of rap music??
Which happens to be VERY popular music Gen Zs are listening to?
Which just goes to show you the absolute cluelessness of most people.

Yeah, I don't care to listen to that either.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

As far as Rolling Stones, IMO, Some Girls is their best album. Hands down.
The biggest test for the best albums is how often did/do people listen to the whole album without skipping any songs.

 

[Allan]

As far as Rolling Stones, IMO, Some Girls is their best album. Hands down.
The biggest test for the best albums is how often did/do people listen to the whole album without skipping any songs.

Blue and Lonesome is an album I can listen to without skipping ahead.

 

[DrewPaul]

As far as Rolling Stones, IMO, Some Girls is their best album. Hands down.
The biggest test for the best albums is how often did/do people listen to the whole album without skipping any songs.

Today a band is lucky to have a single hit and then fill up the album with pure junk.

 

[DrewPaul]

As far as Rolling Stones, IMO, Some Girls is their best album. Hands down.
The biggest test for the best albums is how often did/do people listen to the whole album without skipping any songs.

I'd vote Exile on Mainstreet as their best.

 

[holbritter]

I heard this song for years, it was on one of their best albums ever 'Sticky Fingers'. Recently I started watching reaction videos on You tube and some young people were reacting to Brown Sugar.

Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields
Sold in the market down in New Orleans
Scarred 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, now?
Brown sugar, just like a young girl should (yeah)

Brown sugar, how come you dance so good, babe?
Brown sugar, just like a black girl should, yeah

And I bet your mama was a tent show 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, baby?
Brown sugar, just like a young girl should, yeah

I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
How come you, how come you dance so good?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
Just like a, just like a black girl should
Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo



Most of them liked the music but were appalled by the lyrics. That song had always been a staple for years but recently the stones stopped playing it on tour. However Richards said maybe they will play it. I'm certain Richards doesn't give a shit about being politically correct.

One reason I never really thought about the vocals is because the tune and main chorus is very upbeat. I assumed brown sugar was a reference to sex with a black woman that was a positive experience.

I never realized those were the lyrics either. Like you, I thought it was a good experience reference with a black woman.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

@Checkerboard Strangler
were you around when mick jagger played with leon?

Around? Yeah I was around (I'm 67 years old) but I did not know Leon back then.

I did not meet Leon until 1988.

 

[GIJane]

Number 47 said to number three
"You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see
I sure would be delighted with your company
Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me"


Elvis was way ahead of his time.

 

[watsup]

After reading the lyrics, I still don’t know what it is about.

 

[watsup]

Number 47 said to number three
"You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see
I sure would be delighted with your company
Come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me"


Elvis was way ahead of his time.

Did Elvis know he was singing a gay song?

 

[GIJane]

Did Elvis know he was singing a gay song?

I dunno. Ask him next time you see him.