The Rolling Stones Have Quietly Retired “Brown Sugar” from their Touring Set Rather than Face Criticism

“Brown Sugar” was a massive number 1 hit for the Rolling Stones when it was released in 1971. The lead track from “Sticky Fingers,” it became so popular live on tour that it was usually left for an encore. For 50 years.

And now, “Brown Sugar” has been dissolved. No more live performances. Since the Stones resumed their No Filter tour on September 26th, “Brown Sugar” is gone.

Even though it was not written to be racist, the new politically correct thinking has put the song in a permanent dog house. The Stones could keep playing it and saying nothing, but the clock was ticking on how much longer they could get away with it.

The opening line of the song is: “Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields.”

Keith Richards responded to the Los Angeles Times recently when asked about it.

“You picked up on that, huh?” Richards answered. “I don’t know. 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 shit. But I’m hoping that we’ll be able to resurrect the babe in her glory somewhere along the track.”

Mick Jagger said: “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.’”

It’s too bad. The opening notes to that song send a signal to the brain of any Stones fan, on a par with “Satisfaction” and “Start Me Up.” Maybe they can update the lyrics…

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