The lyrics to this track are very-ambiguous. What can be ascertained on the surface alone is that the titular “golden brown” brings great joy to the singer, on both a mental and physical level, as the “distant lands” he gains access to via it are symbolic of its ability to make his mind traverse his immediate surroundings.
In the early days of this song, fans postulated that “Golden Brown” is actually a reference to heroine, which at first The Stranglers denied. But eventually Hugh Cornwell, who sings and co-wrote the track, did fess up that “golden brown” is indeed heroin. He further stated that it was also a shoutout to his girlfriend back then, who happened to be of Mediterranean descent. So “golden brown” actually refers to a substance and a human being. Both of these things apparently brought Cornwell so much contentment.
And the aforementioned ambiguity of the lyrics are set up in such a way that at any point during the song Cornwell can be talking about either one of them.
NOTE: “Golden Brown” is a beautiful song. But under no circumstances must you do drugs. It’s beyond dangerous. It’s deadly! Stay away from drugs!
Facts about “Golden Brown”
Reportedly, heroine was referenced in this elusive, dual manner in order to get the song approved by censors, since after all “Golden Brown” was released way back on 28 December 1981.
It was the ninth song on the playlist and the second single released from The Stranglers sixth album, La folie.
NME (New Musical Express) placed “Golden Brown” at number 488 on its 2014 list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
The Stranglers, with the exception of their drummer, Jet Black, were not feeling this song. However, Black promoted the idea of it being released as a single. And after being done so, it went on to become their most-successful and arguably even signature song.
For instance it performed better on the UK Singles Chart than any of their other tracks. It went on to be recognized at the 28th Ivor Novello Awards (1982) as the “most performed work of 1982”.
Who wrote “Golden Brown”?
It was written by the entire Stranglers’ lineup at the time. Owing to this, the following receive credits as writers of this classic:
- Jet Black
- Dave Greenfield
- Jean-Jacques Burnel
- Hugh Cornwell
FYI, the production of this track was handled by Steve Churchyard.
How did this classic fare on the charts?
This song experienced its most-notable success in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. It also broke the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands.
Read more at: https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/golden-brown-by-the-stranglers/
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