☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics are about the singer's unrequited love for Cushie Butterfield
- Cushie Butterfield is described as a big and pretty woman who enjoys drinking beer
- The singer asked Cushie Butterfield if she would marry him, but was laughed at
- Cushie Butterfield already has another man in Shipcote
- The singer says goodbye to Cushie Butterfield and the man in Shipcote
Interpretation
In the song lyrics "Cushie Butterfield" by
Sting, it is about a heartbroken man who falls in love with a young girl named Cushie Butterfield. She sells yellow clay and her cousin Tom Gray is a chimney sweep. Cushie Butterfield is a big and beautiful woman who enjoys drinking beer. The singer misses her and wishes she was with him.
The lyrics describe Cushie Butterfield's appearance and habits. Her eyes are like two holes in a burnt blanket and her morning breath could scare a young cow. She wears big rubber boots and her stockings were once white. Her nightgown is purple and her hat is never straight.
The singer also describes how he asked Cushie Butterfield if she would marry him, but she laughed and said she didn't like nonsense. Then she started crying and roaring like a bull and the people on the Keelman (a ship) called him a fool.
Cushie Butterfield says that the man who gets her must work every day and when he comes home in the evening, he must look for clay. While he is away, she makes clay balls and sings. The singer wishes the Keelman ships good luck.
At the end of the lyrics, the singer learns that Cushie Butterfield has another man who works in Shipcote. If he thinks she would cheat on him, he would kill himself. He sails down the river singing "I'm on my way" and says goodbye to Cushy Butterfield and the man in Shipcote.
So, the lyrics of the song "Cushie Butterfield" tell the story of the singer's unrequited love for Cushie Butterfield, a charming and unique woman.