Ridley had to leave the area for a while when the song initially caused consternation with the real-life stone sellers.
The version below is taken from the 1873 edition of the book, now titled "A Choice collection of Tyneside songs, by Wilson, Corvan, Mitford, Gilchrist, Robson, Harrison ... with the lives of the authors, illustrated with views of the town and portraits of the poets and eccentrics of Newcastle".
Her eyes are like two holes in a blanket burnt throo, An' her brows in a mornin wad spyen a yung coo; An' when aw heer her shootin "Will ye buy ony clay," Like a candy man's trumpet, it steels maw young hart away.
Ye'll oft see hor doon at Sandgate when the fresh herrin cums in; She's like a bagfull o' sawdust tied roond wiv a string; She weers big golashes, te, an' her stockins was wonce white, An' her bedgoon is a laelock, an' her hat's nivor strite,
Noo, aw heer she hes anuther chep, an' he hews at Shipcote' If aw thowt she wad deceive me, ah'd sure cut me throat; Aal doon the river sailin, an_sing "Aam afloat," Biddin addo te Cushy Butterfield an' the chep at Shipcote.
Many, in fact the majority, resided as a close-knit community with their families in the Sandgate area, to the east of the city and beside the river.
Folk Songs From Northumbria (ref 7EG 8551) included Cushie Butterfield together with six other titles and a YouTube recording is available.
Gingersfarne, a punk band-cum-cult of anonymous ginger Geordie exiles, released a "badpunk" version of the song as the A-side to their 2017 third EP A Fishy Butter Dish which features a cursed image of Brannigan as the cover art.