Comments on: I need a pirate song.

Question: I need a pirate song.

bchaplin — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 03:34:09 -0800

I need a rousing pirate song, preferably downloadable through the iTunes store. For my mom, who just had cataract surgery and will be wearing an eye patch when we are throwing a surprise party for her.

(Not too dirty, please. This is for the family. )

By: chrismear

chrismear — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 03:39:13 -0800

It's completely wrong, but I can't help think of the pirate song (2.6MB MP3) from Monkey Island 3.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 03:54:50 -0800

The You are a pirate song from Lazytown is short, but it's hideously catchy, and - this seems key - it says "You are a pirate" about a thousand times. There's an mp3 here, or, if you personally don't want to be a pirate, itms does in fact have it.

By: Gungho

Gungho — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 04:06:36 -0800

not just Pirates, but Drunken Sailors... Check out the band Great Big Sea on iTunes. Sea chanties and traditional maritime music updated... Arrgh!

By: bunglin jones

bunglin jones — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 04:35:49 -0800

The Toucan Pirates do a version of "A Pirate's Life for Me" which is available through the iTunes store. I haven't heard this particular version (and I confess I've never heard of this band until about three minutes ago), but it's a very family-friendly pirate song, with lots of "yo-ho-ho"-ing and the like.

By: bunglin jones

bunglin jones — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 04:40:32 -0800

Oh, and I ought to mention that "A Pirate's Life For Me" is a Disney-commissioned number, so it's HEAVY on the family-friendliness.

By: duende

duende — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 04:44:35 -0800

Mad Caddies - Weird Beard.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 04:47:58 -0800

You definitely need a famous song from Pirates of Penzance:
"Oh, better far to live and die" (chorus: For I am a Pirate King!
Hurrah hurrah for our Pirate King!) I can email you if it isn't in Itunes.

By: orthogonality

orthogonality — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 05:17:43 -0800

Damn you CunningLinguist! Yeah, any of several songs for Penzance, but especially the Pirate King song.

By: merocet

merocet — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 05:20:38 -0800

Jolly Roger from Adam And The Ants glorious Kings of the Wild Frontier!

"Hoist the-er Jolly Roger!"

By: merocet

merocet — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 05:21:57 -0800

In fact looking at the other suggestions I see a whole Pirate compilation coming!

By: transient

transient — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 05:44:04 -0800

Tanglefoot's Traighli Bay.

By: SpecialK

SpecialK — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 05:45:02 -0800

"Cadence to a Drunken Arms Deal" by Amadan - Irish, some of the best fiddling I've ever heard, and the lines:

"Well you can take your longboat
your swabbies and your lash
you can take your sailin' ship
and shove it up your ass!

Those endless nights of drinkn' rum
and chilling to the bone
give me beer and whiskey
tell me mom I'm coming home!"

By: dagnyscott

dagnyscott — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 06:07:48 -0800

"The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" - the Reliant K version

"When You're a Professional Pirate" - from Muppet Treasure Island

No idea about iTunes availability.

By: cardboard

cardboard — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 07:12:36 -0800

Barrett's Privateers, a drinking standard in Canada, has a cover on itunes.

By: boost ventilator

boost ventilator — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 07:19:18 -0800

Check this out: Gore Verbinski, Johnny Depp and Hal Willner join forces with Anti Records for the August 22 release of:

Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys

Featuring Bono, Sting, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, Bryan Ferry, John C. Reilly, Richard Thompson ("Mingulay Boat Song"), Loudon Wainwright III, Rufus Wainwright, Lucinda Williams, Gavin Friday, Van Dyke Parks, etc. Here's a medley.

By: Serial Killer Slumber Party

Serial Killer Slumber Party — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 07:30:48 -0800

Okay, so it's not exactly 'pirate', but The Decemberists' "The Mariners's Revenge Song" has a wonderful sea-faring jig feel about it.

By: martinX's bellbottoms

martinX's bellbottoms — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 07:46:10 -0800

"Captain Hampton and the Midget Pirates!" by The Aquabats!

By: scody

scody — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 07:53:54 -0800

merocet beat me to the Adam & the Ants suggestion. And it's on itunes!

By: scottreynen

scottreynen — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 07:55:54 -0800

All for me grog is a fun pirate song.

By: ObscureReferenceMan

ObscureReferenceMan — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 08:36:24 -0800

Not quite "piratey", but maybe close, is "Men" by Martin Mull and Steve Martin. Sorry, couldn't find audio.

By: bchaplin

bchaplin — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 08:36:46 -0800

Awesome suggestions! I can't wait to get home and try them out. Thanks, everyone!

By: Mr. Gunn

Mr. Gunn — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 08:52:23 -0800

I'll have to remember this for Talk like a Pirate Day, which is coming up soon...

By: ObscureReferenceMan

ObscureReferenceMan — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 09:17:30 -0800

Here's an interesting thread.

By: Aquaman

Aquaman — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 10:07:24 -0800

Check out Cap'n Bogg & Salty, a real live pirate band from Portland, Oregon with tons of highly singable rousing pirate songs. Also available on iTunes!

By: jb

jb — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 10:42:26 -0800

Is Last Saskachewan Pirate by the Arrogant Worms available? It's the most piraty song I've ever heard.

That said, don't listen to a Barrett's Privateer's cover! If you can't get a hold of Stan Rogers singing it, email me. You have to have the real thing.

By: Medieval Maven

Medieval Maven — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 11:03:06 -0800

Another vote for Mariner's Revenge Song.

By: milquetoast

milquetoast — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 11:15:34 -0800

Seven Deadly Sins by Flogging Molly. "The moon is full, and so are we. Seven drunken pirates, we're the seven deadly sins!"

Maybe a little too rousing.

By: RoseovSharon

RoseovSharon — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 11:20:50 -0800

I love this pirate song, and you can download it for free from Amazon: "A Pirates Life is Peaceful ('til Someone Cuts you Up)" by Pirate Jenny. Here's where to download:
(link)

By: Steven C. Den Beste

Steven C. Den Beste — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 11:40:27 -0800

If you go with the "Pirate King" song from Penzance, you can rewrite the words. Instead of "For I am a Pirate King! Hurrah hurrah for our Pirate King!", make it "You are the Pirate Queen! Hurrah hurrah for our Pirate Queen!" and gesture towards your mom.

By: alasdair

alasdair — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 12:29:49 -0800

For I am a Pirate King (MP3 file) by Gilbert and Sullivan, from "The Pirates of Penzance".

By: alasdair

alasdair — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 13:07:43 -0800

In fact, I'm not thinking straight: this is probably better:

With Catlike Tread (G&S again)

You'll probably know the tune, too: I believe it's a university drinking song in the United States. It's traditionally done as an entrance: you can imagine the pirate band going taking a big, dramatic step on the fourth beat each time. "Tan tan ta-ra [step]". Lyrics for this (and Pirate King) are here: Pirates of Penzance (do a search for "with cat-like" to go to the song.

The middle part of the song has a Pirate handing out piratical implements: you could hand out presents, or items of note for your mom ("Here's your auto keys...")

By: rob511

rob511 — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 15:01:05 -0800

Strongly seconding alasdair: "Catlike Tread" is perfect for this! And Sam's part* lends itself to personalization, as he notes.**
*Big nerd disclaimer: I sang this role as a boy soprano in grade school.
**O' course, the lyrics are priceless in that G&S early-camp way: "Here's your crowbar / and your centrebit, / your li-ife preserver / you may want to hit. / Your silent matches, / your dark lantern seize. / Take your file / and your skeletonic keys."

By: agropyron

agropyron — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 15:58:19 -0800

Oooooh! Ooooooh! I have a new favorite pirate song. It's "Don't Shake Hands With A One-Eyed Pirate" by Gunnar Madsen. Available on iTunes. Terrific song!

By: Methylviolet

Methylviolet — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 17:40:59 -0800

On the DIY side -- this children's book has a bunch of verses where the pirates introduce themselves... we are still singing them around my house, and my kids are teenagers now.

"I'm Abdul the Skinhead -- hip! hip!
The Golden Behind is me ship..."

By: ninazer0

ninazer0 — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 19:14:32 -0800

I'm sorry - I don't have anything useful to add but I just need to say "What an outstandingly cool idea, bchaplin!" Let us know how it goes, eh?

By: bolognius maximus

bolognius maximus — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 19:34:33 -0800

My sister's fiance is in a musical group called Hog Eye Navvy that sings sea chanteys and the like. They do this great song called 'Being a Pirate', and it goes on about how you can't be a pirate with all of your parts. It's very funny. I could upload their CD onto Bearshare if you'd like.

By: raedyn

raedyn — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 23:12:17 -0800

Seconding "Last Saskatchewan Pirate" by the Arrogant Worms. Very very piratey and little bit silly.

By: ab3

ab3 — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 02:16:56 -0800

"a Cautionary Song", "Mariner's Revenge Song" and pretty much everything else The Decemberists have ever done...

By: ludwig_van

ludwig_van — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 10:07:02 -0800

Mariner's Revenge Song is awful. Please use Shanty for the Arethusa instead.

By: bchaplin

bchaplin — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 13:59:51 -0800

Thanks again, everyone, for all the great suggestions! I spent a lot of time sampling the songs and downloading -- should be a great addition to the party.

Let's hope mom has a sense of humor about this!

By: umbú

umbú — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 19:58:08 -0800

I second Aquaman's suggestion of Cap'n Bogg and Salty. My favorite song of theirs is Scurvy.

Check out their site www.eatalime.com and you can download it there.

By: Lush

Lush — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 03:28:00 -0800

Possibly relevant, certainly interesting: a list and discussion of rousing pirate songs from video games!