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Bustopher Jones - The Character
Bustopher Jones is one of the cats featured in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. He is a parody of an Edwardian gentleman of leisure.
He is described as the St. James's Street Cat, and is a regular visitor to many gentlemen's clubs including Drones, Blimp's and the Tomb.
Due to his constant lunching at these clubs, he is remarkably fat. He has a luxurious black coat, and apparently develops white markings on his paws when it is spring in Pall Mall. (Both St James's and Pall Mall are noted locations of gentleman's clubs).
Bustopher Jones is well known to people in the St James's area, and is always greeted as he walks down the street.
In the Cats movie Bustopher Jones is portrayed by James Barron. In the original West End show, and accompanying album he was played by Brian Blessed.
Bustopher Jones - The Song (Lyrics)
Bustopher Jones is not skin and bones
In fact, he's remarkably fat
He doesn't haunt pubs - he has eight or nine clubs
For he's the St. James's Street Cat!
He's the cat we all greet as he walks down the street
In his coat of fastidious black
No commonplace mousers have such well-cut trousers
Or such an impeccable back
In the whole of St. James's the smartest of names is
The name of this Brummel of cats
And we're all of us proud to be nodded or bowed to
By Bustopher Jones in white spats
In the whole of St. James's the smartest of names is
The name of this Brummel of cats
And we're all of us proud to be nodded or bowed to
By Bustopher Jones in white spats
My visits are occasional to the Senior Educational
And it is against the rules
For any one cat to belong both to that
And the Joint Superior Schools
For a similar reason when game is in season
I'm found not at Fox's but Blimp's
I am frequently seen at the gay Stage and Screen
Which is famous for winkles and shrimps
In the season of venison I give my ben'son
To the Pothunter's succulent bones
And just before noon's not a moment too soon
To drop in for a drink at the Drones
When I'm seen in a hurry there's probably curry
At the Siamese or at the Glutton
If I look full of gloom then I've lunched at the Tomb
On cabbage, rice pudding and mutton
In the whole of St. James's is the smartest of names is
The name of this Brummel of cats
And we're all of us proud to be nodded or bowed to
By Bustopher Jones in white
Bustopher Jones in white
Bustopher Jones in white spats
So, much in this way passes Bustopher's day
At one club or another he's found
It can be no surprise that under our eyes
He has grown unmistakably round
He's a twenty-five pounder, or I am a bounder
And he's putting on weight everyday
But I'm so well preserved because I've observed
All my life a routine, and I'd say
I am still in the prime, I shall last out my time
That's the word from the stoutest of cats
It must and it shall be spring in Pall Mall
While Bustopher Jones wears white
Bustopher Jones wears white
Bustopher Jones wears white spats!
Links
Listen to 30 sec of the song at Barnes & Noble
Cats at the Really Useful Group
Awesome Cats Fansite Oriana's Moonlit Playground