The lyric is about slaves from Africa who were sold in New Orleans and raped by their white masters. The subject matter is quite serious, but the way the song is structured, it comes off as a fun rocker about a white guy having sex with a black girl.

Mick Jagger wrote the lyric. According to Bill Wyman, it was partially inspired by a black backup singer named Claudia Lennear, who was one of Ike Turner's Ikettes. She and Jagger met when The Stones toured with Turner in 1969. David Bowie also wrote his Aladdin Sane track "Lady Grinning Soul" about Lennear.

American-born singer Marsha Hunt is also sometimes cited as the inspiration for the song. She and Jagger met when she was a member of the cast in the London production of the musical Hair, and their relationship, a closely guarded secret until 1972, resulted in a daughter named Karis.

Lyrics

Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields

Sold in the market down in New Orleans

Scarred old 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

Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should

Brown Sugar, how come you dance so good

Brown Sugar, just like a black girl should

I bet your mama was a Cajun 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

Brown Sugar, just like a black girl should

I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo

How come you, how come you dance so good

Yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo

Just like a, just like a black girl should

Yeah, yeah, yeah, wooo

Songwriters: Keith Richards / Mick Jagger

Brown Sugar lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC