Echo and the Bunnymen: What is ‘The Cutter’?
Similar to numerous Echo and the Bunnymen song lyrics, ‘The Cutter’ presents a challenge when it comes to interpretation. Even lead singer Ian McCulloch’s attempts to shed light on its meaning only serve to extend the mystery further: “‘The Cutter’ is about three different aspects of this man, The Cutter. I’m six-foot tall, so that’s a clue.”
Even though it enjoyed success upon its release, ‘The Cutter’ has largely faded from the memory of music enthusiasts, which remains a perplexing phenomenon. Infusing a blend of psychedelic and Eastern influences, this track marked Echo and the Bunnymen’s realisation of their profound musical potential. Prior to this moment, the band had hinted at a more expansive sound but had adhered to the minimalist ethos of post-punk.
However, ‘The Cutter’ served as a revelation, not only to their audience but also to the band themselves, showcasing their innate ability to craft anthemic music. It was a decision that would significantly shape their musical journey, and the impact was undeniable. Without ‘The Cutter’, the iconic ‘Killing Moon’ might never have come into existence.
Over the years, ‘The Cutter’ has had its fair share of fan speculation. While some disagree with McCulloch about its true meaning, others have claimed that the lyric could be influenced by the 1962 novel A Clockwork Orange, which Stanley Kubrick turned into a famous film in 1971. In the first scene, a vagrant asks for spare change: “Can you spare some cutter, me brothers.”
The band’s record label, an imprint of Sire, was named Korova, which is also a reference to the Korova Milk Bar in A Clockwork Orange. ‘The Cutter’ stands as one of the band’s major chart-toppers, serving as the second single from their album Porcupine. As was the case with many of their early successes, the song enjoyed significant popularity in the United Kingdom, particularly in their hometown of Liverpool.
However, it took a while for the song to resonate with audiences in America. As Will Sergeant explained: “We did a few tours of America where we just playing clubs – the Paradise, and places like that. The Channel in Boston. We’d do these clubs and we were kind of like another band. It might have been when the movie Urgh! A Music War came out and that put us on another level. We had been playing to a few hundred people and then we started selling out.”
Although the true meaning behind the song remains a mystery, it’s not too difficult to dream up personal interpretations when delving into its lyrics. For instance, the A Clockwork Orange theory may ring true, particularly considering the repeated lyric “Spare us the cutter”, which seems entirely lifted from the Kubrick film itself. Nonetheless, perhaps it’s ultimately McCulloch’s resistance to revealing its inspiration that makes it such an endearing track.
