Cross-Eyed Mary by Jethro Tull

May 2024 · 2 minute read

What can be pretty easily ascertained is “Cross-Eyed Mary” being a minor or school-aged prostitute. 

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Whether or not she’s actually cross-eyed is not specified nor particularly of important. Or let’s say that in any event she’s obviously a hot item, having her choice of clientele. And who she prefers is “letching grey(s)”, i.e. older men who are able to buy her food from the expensive part of town for instance.

Ian Anderson has revealed that the album this song is derived from is based on a theme of being able to see the good in all people, even those who are generally considered to be undesirables. And in this case, the titular character is actually “the Robin Hood of Highgate”. 

Put simply, Mary is turning tricks in the name of getting close to big men to jack as much money from them as she can. And she isn’t doing only to her own edification but also to help out the poor people in the ‘hood.

And it can be said that Jethro Tull did achieve the intended goal of humanizing a character who would otherwise come off as some type of immoral or advantageous person. So what we are met with conclusively is a girl who, on the surface, unscrupulously uses her body for incomes, but at least she’s doing so for altruistic purposes also.

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When was “Cross-Eyed Mary” released?

This track is from “Aqualung”, Jethro Tull’s signature album. This album is the only one to date to have achieved RIAA multi-platinum status.

That said, it should be noted that the character of “Aqualung” also being namedropped in “Cross-Eyed Mary”. 

When Chrysalis Records released this project on 19 March 1971, the band’s lineup consisted of these musicians:

Important to Note

It was Ian who wrote and co-produced this track, with its other producer being Terry Ellis.

By the looks of things this song, which by the way was not released as a single, was referenced on an episode of Friends“.

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