Golden Brown
KITCHEN - The Stranglers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴Golden brown, texture like sun
Lays me down, with my mind she runs
Throughout the night
No need to fight
Never a frown with golden brown
Every time just like the last
On her ship tied to the mast
Takes both my hands
Never a frown with golden brown
Golden brown, finer temptress
Through the ages she's heading west
From far away
Stays for a day
Never a frown with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
Overall Meaning
The Stranglers’ “Golden Brown” is a complex and haunting song that uses metaphor and imagery to convey its deeper meaning. The song is an ode to heroin, personified as a golden brown temptress who leads the singer on a journey of euphoria and pleasure. The “texture like sun” refers to the warm, soft feel of heroin on the skin, while “lays me down” alludes to the way the drug brings its user to a state of complete relaxation.
The second verse shifts into a nautical metaphor, with the singer on a ship tied to the mast – an image of being powerless to resist the drug’s pull. The “distant lands” represent the high the singer experiences while using, and the sense of losing oneself in the experience. The final verse describes the temptress as a “finer temptress,” suggesting the depth of the pleasure she offers, and “heading west” symbolizes the fatal journey towards death that addiction can lead to.
Line by Line Meaning
Golden brown, texture like sun
The singer likens the subject of the song to golden brown, with a texture like the sun.
Lays me down, with my mind she runs
The subject has a calming influence on the singer, who finds his thoughts wandering in her presence.
Throughout the night
The effect of the subject's presence lasts throughout the night.
No need to fight
The singer doesn't have to struggle or compete for the subject's attention.
Never a frown with golden brown
The subject never makes the singer unhappy, always bringing a smile to his face.
Every time just like the last
The singer finds himself experiencing the same emotions every time he is with the subject.
On her ship tied to the mast
The singer is willing to go wherever the subject takes him, even if he is tied down.
To distant lands
The subject takes the singer to faraway places.
Takes both my hands
The subject is intimately involved with the singer, figuratively holding his hands.
Golden brown, finer temptress
The subject is described as a temptress who is both valuable and alluring.
Through the ages she's heading west
The singer sees the subject as timeless and always moving westward, toward new horizons.
From far away
The subject comes from a distant place.
Stays for a day
The subject's presence is only temporary, but nonetheless leaves a lasting impression on the singer.
Never a frown with golden brown
Once again, the singer emphasizes how the subject never makes him unhappy.
Never a frown (never a frown), never a frown
The repetition of this emphasizes the constancy of the subject's influence on the singer.
With golden brown (with golden brown), with golden brown
The repetition of the subject's name further reinforces her importance to the singer.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Duffy, Dave Greenfield, Hugh Cornwell, Jean Jacques Burnel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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