David Littler and Tony Berry are both founder members of the band, whilst Steve Millington joined in 1996.
Previous members are Norman Prince (1975 to 1999, 6 string acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, bass guitar and vocals), John Oliver (1975 to 1976 vocals), Denis Littler (1976 to 1984 bass guitar and vocals) and Jeff Hill (1984 to 1996 and 1999 to 2007 bass Guitar, 6 string acoustic guitar, 12 string guitar, electric guitar and vocals)
They sing mainly English folk music, much of it in Lancashire dialect, and demonstrate an eclectic range of song subjects including "The Blackpool Belle", "Uncle Joe’s Mintballs" and "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" (a biographical song about the painter L. S. Lowry).
They are best known for their BBC T.V. show "Sit Thi Deawn" (a Lancashire colloquial corruption of "Sit You Down"; referring to the supposed hospitality of Lancashire people). The programme ran for six series or seven years and was a mixture of easy listening music and comedy for a local audience[1]. The group also starred in six of their own series for BBC Radio 2.
Cushie Butterfield
The Houghton Weavers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a young lass in Gateshead and they call her my dove.
Her name's Cushie Butterfield and she sells yellow clay.
And her cousin's a muckman and they call him Tom Gray.
She's a big lass, she's a Bonnie lass and she likes her beer.
And they call her Cushie Butterfield and I wish she was here.
And her breath in the morning would scare a young cow.
And when you hear shouting, "Would you buy any clay?"
Like a candyman's trumpet, it steals my young heart away.
She's a big lass, she's a Bonnie lass and she likes her beer.
And they call her Cushie Butterfield and I wish she was here.
You'd oft see her down at Sandgate when the fresh herring comes in.
Like a bagful of sawdust tied round with a string.
She wears big galoshes and her stockings once was white.
And her bed down is lilac and her hat's never straight.
She's a big lass, she's a Bonnie lass and she likes her beer.
And they call her Cushie Butterfield and I wish she was here.
When I asked her to marry me, she started to laugh.
"Now none of your monkey business for a mid-wife such chaff!"
Then she started a blubbering and she roared like a bull.
And the chaps on the quay say I'm nought but a fool.
She's a big lass, she's a Bonnie lass and she likes her beer.
And they call her Cushie Butterfield and I wish she was here.
She's a big lass, she's a Bonnie lass and she likes her beer.
And they call her Cushie Butterfield and I wish she was here.
Cushie Butterfield is a love song which tells the story of a keelman who is in love with a young lady from Gateshead called Cushie Butterfield. He is absolutely smitten with her and wants nothing more than to be with her. He seems to be completely consumed with his infatuation for her and her beauty, even though he is broken hearted. Cushie is a large, Bonnie lass who enjoys her beer and sells yellow clay. She is known for her striking eyes, and her breath is so bad in the morning it would scare a calf.
The song has a lighthearted and humorous tone with the description of Cushie's appearance and behavior, and it seems to be a playful expression of love. The keelman's attempts to win her heart are comical, as she laughs at his proposal and the other men in the area ridicule him. Despite all of this, he is still entranced by her and wishes she was with him.
Overall, Cushie Butterfield is a classic English folk song that humorously portrays the love and infatuation of its protagonist for a larger-than-life lady named Cushie Butterfield.
Line by Line Meaning
As a broken hearted keelman and I'm over head in love.
I am a keelman who is heartbroken but deeply in love with a girl from Gateshead.
With a young lass in Gateshead and they call her my dove.
I am in love with a young lady from Gateshead who is affectionately called my dove.
Her name's Cushie Butterfield and she sells yellow clay.
Her name is Cushie Butterfield, and she is known for selling yellow clay.
And her cousin's a muckman and they call him Tom Gray.
Her cousin is a muckman known as Tom Gray.
She's a big lass, she's a Bonnie lass and she likes her beer.
She is a large and attractive woman who enjoys her beer.
And they call her Cushie Butterfield and I wish she was here.
She is known as Cushie Butterfield, and I wish she were with me.
Her eyes are like two holes in a blanket burnt through.
Her eyes are so piercing that they seem like two holes burnt through a blanket.
And her breath in the morning would scare a young cow.
Her morning breath is so bad that it could scare a young cow.
And when you hear shouting, "Would you buy any clay?"
When you hear her shouting, "Would you buy any clay?"
Like a candyman's trumpet, it steals my young heart away.
Her voice, like that of a candyman's trumpet, steals my heart.
You'd oft see her down at Sandgate when the fresh herring comes in.
She is often seen at Sandgate when fresh herring is delivered.
Like a bagful of sawdust tied round with a string.
She looks like a bag of sawdust tied with a string.
She wears big galoshes and her stockings once was white.
She wears large galoshes, and her white stockings are now dirty.
And her bed down is lilac and her hat's never straight.
Her bedding is lilac, and she never wears her hat straight.
When I asked her to marry me, she started to laugh.
When I proposed marriage to her, she laughed.
"Now none of your monkey business for a mid-wife such chaff!"
She refused my proposal, saying that I was not serious and sounded like a joke.
Then she started a blubbering and she roared like a bull.
She started to cry and complete restless about the topic of marriage.
And the chaps on the quay say I'm nought but a fool.
People around me called me a fool for proposing to her.
She's a big lass, she's a Bonnie lass and she likes her beer.
She is a large and attractive woman who enjoys her beer.
And they call her Cushie Butterfield and I wish she was here.
She is known as Cushie Butterfield, and I wish she were with me.
She's a big lass, she's a Bonnie lass and she likes her beer.
She is a large and attractive woman who enjoys her beer.
And they call her Cushie Butterfield and I wish she was here.
She is known as Cushie Butterfield, and I wish she were with me.
Contributed by Violet Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Timo Lohva
on Room In The Sky
2 more corrections: "on t' other side of town" & "they say he won't be suited".
Timo Lohva
on Room In The Sky
Also "There's no kinder people" - Not " "kind of ". + "But I've had a note from t' council".
Timo Lohva
on Room In The Sky
Also: "The only consolation, I'll say to be quite fair, I'm sure to get to Heaven, 'cos I'll be halfway there"?
Timo Lohva
on Room In The Sky
I think "winter suitcase" should be "there i'nt a suitcase large enough...."(local dialect for isn't)?