No more 'Brown Sugar': Rolling Stones retire song due to slave narrative

Released in 1971, the opening lines of "Brown Sugar" reference a woman being sold into slavery and whipped around midnight.

CNNWire By Leah Asmelash, CNN
Thursday, October 14, 2021 9:24AM

LOS ANGELES -- The Rolling Stones have retired their classic song "Brown Sugar," which begins with a slave narrative and sexualizes young Black women.

Mick Jagger told the Los Angeles Times that the band had phased the song out of their concert lineups.

"We've played 'Brown Sugar' every night since 1970, so sometimes you think, 'We'll take that one out for now and see how it goes,'" he said. "We might put it back in."

Keith Richards told the Times he hopes to be able to play some version of the song in the future.

"I'm trying to figure out with the sisters quite where the beef is. Didn't they understand this was a song about the horrors of slavery? But they're trying to bury it. At the moment I don't want to get into conflicts with all of this sh**," he said. "But I'm hoping that we'll be able to resurrect the babe in her glory somewhere along the track."

Released in 1971, the opening lines of "Brown Sugar" reference a woman being sold into slavery and whipped around midnight. The chorus in the song includes "brown sugar," referring to Black women, asking "How come you taste so good?"

Critics have railed against the song for years, condemning its violent and stereotypical portrayal of Black women.

"I never would write that song now," Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995. "I would probably censor myself."

The Rolling Stones are currently on their "No Filter Tour," with stops in North American cities scheduled through November. It is the first tour for the group since the death of the band's late drummer Charlie Watts.

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The Rolling Stones are currently on their "No Filter Tour,"

"I'm trying to figure out with the sisters quite where the beef is."

For instance they were never taught that Columbus was a slave owner.

Had no idea what this song was about until people complained about it. The lyrics other than just around midnight and brown sugar don't really stick out.

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

Our hotel smelled like dead hooker vagina (before you ask I had gotten a detailed description from beardown)

Some girls give me money, some girls buy me clothes
Some girls give me jewelry, that I never thought I'd own

Some girls give me diamonds, some girls, heart attacks
Some girls I give all my bread to, I don't ever want it back

Some girls give me jewelry, others buy me clothes
Some girls give me children, I never asked them for

So give me all your money, give me all your gold
I'll buy you a house in Baker Street, and give you half of what I own

Some girls take my money, some girls take my clothes
Some girls get the shirt off my back, and leave me with a lethal dose

French girls they want Cartier, Italian girls want cars
American girls want everything in the world you can possibly imagine

English girls they're so prissy, I can't stand them on the telephone
Sometimes I take the receiver off the hook, I don't want them to ever call at all

White girls they're pretty funny, sometimes they drive me mad
Black girls just wanna get fucked all night, I just don't have that much jam

Chinese girls are so gentle, they're really such a tease
You never know quite what they're cookin', inside those silky sleeves

Give me all you money, give me all your gold
I'll buy you a house in Baker Street, and give you half of what I own

Some girls they're so pure, some girls so corrupt
Some girls give me children, I only made love to her once

Give me half your money, give me half your car
Give me half of everything, I'll make you world's biggest star

So gimme all your money, give me all your gold
Let's go back to Zuma beach, I'll give you half of everything I own

Apparently not.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

This has to be a bit, right?

That said, classic song.

For instance they were never taught that Columbus was a slave owner.

"patriot" has to be the next one to go, right?

Our hotel smelled like dead hooker vagina (before you ask I had gotten a detailed description from beardown)

"patriot" has to be the next one to go, right?

"patriot" has to be the next one to go, right?

Does every celebrity have to grandstand for attention for mindless positions?

Our hotel smelled like dead hooker vagina (before you ask I had gotten a detailed description from beardown)

Does every celebrity have to grandstand for attention for mindless positions? The idiot Kyrie and now these relics.

Jagger still getting mileage out of those semesters at the London School of Economics:

Just don't cancel Honky Tonk Women, BEST COWBELL EVER!