It's Great to be a Pirate -- Song for International Talk Like a Pirate Day

It's Great to be a Pirate

"I and my friend, the composer Johnny Caruso, wrote this song in 1994 for a Disney sequel to Aladdin which did not get made except as a "book and tape without music" - (Welcome to Hollywood). We own all the rights to it but it's been just sitting in our files for all these long years occasionally causing great pangs of guilt that it is not being enjoyed by the vast pirate loving audience. So, today ... I'm just throwing caution to the wind and e-mailing a zip track and lyrics to all of you admirable pirates in the hopes that one of you will call and say, "Hey, can we use this?" and we shall let it set sail. If it is to your liking please e-mail back or even call ... Or pass it on to someone who will appreciate it. Or post it - Or sing it in the shower. For it needs to breathe the stormy seas and have its sails unfurled/ And let it play the pirate way /All around the world! ...Hey, I think I feel another song coming on." -- Richard Marcus


It's great to be a pirate
And live a life of pleasure
We fight with swords and swing from ropes
And hunt for buried treasure.
We make our prisoners walk the plank
Sharks love us when we feed `em.
We wear those patches on our eyes
When we don't even need `em.

CHORUS

It's great, it's great - It's great to be a pirate!
It's great, it's great - It's swell to be bum.
It's great, it's great - It's great to be a blackguard.
It's great, it's great - Its so delicious to be vicious
Thrilling to be scum.
It's great to conquer ships at sea
And steal what isn't ours
And smell like stinky sneakers
`Cause we never bathe or shower.
It's great to get shot at all the time
And lose an arm or leg.
And every morning get to choose
A stylish hook or peg

CHORUS

BRIDGE

We have one pirate golden rule
It's great to be a pirate.
Eat with your fingers And always drool!
It's great to be a pirate
There's a second pirate golden rule
It's great to be a pirate.
Be ruthless, scary, mean and hairy
And don't forget to drool.

ROUSING CHORUS

It's great, it's great
It's great, it's great
It's great, it's great,
It's great, it's great
It's great, It's great to be a pirate.
It's cool and swell and my oh my
It's hip and slick and fine and fly
It's great, it's great
It's great, it's great etc...

© Badda-Boom/Badda-Bing Music 1994
Lyrics by Richard Marcus, Music by Johnny Caruso

Download the mp3 version of "It's Great to be a Pirate" here!

Arr, tis a good day to be the Dread Pirate Robert!