Piers Morgan blasts ‘cowardly’ Rolling Stones as they axe Brown Sugar from setlist over slavery lyrics

Piers Morgan has argued Brown Sugar ‘isn’t racist’ (Picture: Invision/AP)

Piers Morgan has branded the Rolling Stones ‘cowards’ while accusing the band of buckling to the ‘woke bullies’ for removing their song Brown Sugar from their tour. 

The legendary rock band confirmed the 1971 song will no longer feature on their tour setlist due to the controversial lyrics about slavery. 

Lyrics on the track include: ‘Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields / Sold in the market down in New Orleans / Skydog slaver knows he’s doin’ all right / Hear him whip the women just around midnight.’ 

Brown Sugar is one of the Rolling Stones’ most popular songs on tour and Piers is dumbfounded as to why the band have listened to the criticism. 

In his latest column for the Daily Mail, he wrote referring to Keith Richards’ explanation about the move: ‘Then, in words of surrender that made my skin crawl from a man who’s never submitted to anyone about anything, he added: “At the moment, I don’t want to get into conflicts with all of this s**t. But I’m hoping that we’ll be able to resurrect the babe in her glory somewhere along the track”.’ 

‘Really, Keith? You no longer have the stomach to stand up for yourself and fight for what’s right?… How deeply depressing.

The Rolling Stones are giving Brown Sugar a rest (Picture: Reuters)

‘Given this cowardly climbdown, let me make the case for the defense on the Stones’ behalf: there is nothing racist about Brown Sugar.’ 

The former Good Morning Britain presenter then argued that Brown Sugar is ‘aimed at defending and supporting Black women’ rather than ‘make light of slavery’. 

He also pointed out rap songs that feature offensive lyrics about women, before adding: ‘But the woke-fueled narrative will now be that the song IS racist, so the Stones are therefore racist, and they’ve abandoned performing it because they accept these assertions.

‘What utter nonsense.’ 

Concluding his piece, Piers told Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger to ‘grow a pair’ and to ‘stand up to the woke bullies, and sing Brown Sugar loudly and proudly at the rest of your shows’. 

Brown Sugar earned the Rolling Stones a number one on the charts and has been performed by the rockers on tour for the past 50 years. 

Discussing the controversy with the LA Times, Richards said: ‘You picked up on that huh?

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“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.’ 

The Rolling Stones are currently touring North America in their first set of live shows since the death of their longtime drummer Charlie Watts in August.

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