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Friday, June 12, 2015

"Brown Sugar" lyrics tell of slave/master relationships

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Photo of Kraft Barbeque Sauce bottle
I've always liked the Rolling Stones' music, especially "Satisfaction," but recently learned that their "Brown Sugar" lyrics were not what I expected.

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Stones' Zip Code tour

After witnessing the Stones onstage during Atlanta/Georgia Tech's "Zip Code" tour this week which featured a black saxophonist, vocalist, and guitar player, I decided to look up the"Brown Sugar" lyrics and found they contain a history lesson.

Written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, "Brown Sugar" goes like this:



"Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields
Sold in a market down in New Orleans
Scarred old slaver knows he's doing alright
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 beating, cold English blood runs hot
Lady of the house wonderin' where it's gonna stop
House boy knows that he's doing alright
You shoulda heard him just around midnight

Brown sugar
How come you taste so good, now?
Brown sugar
Just like a young girl should, now

Get along, brown sugar
How come you taste so good, baby?
Got me feelin' now, brown sugar
Just like a black girl should

I bet your mama was a tent show queen
Had all the boyfriends at sweet sixteen
I'm no schoolboy but I know what I like
You shoulda heard me just around midnight

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Stones' animated stage occasionally dripped red saliva.
Brown sugar
How come you taste so good, baby?
Brown sugar
Just like a young girl should, yeah

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I said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah
How come you, how come you taste so good?
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Just like a, just like a black girl should
Yeah, yeah, yeah."

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