Pirate Symphony Trivia Quiz

Answer: Grains

"The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" (1992) by the Arrogant Worms is one of the tracks on their album "Arrogant Worms". The Arrogant Worms were formed in 1991. They are a Canadian comedy group. "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate" is a poke at the life of a grain farmer. Part of this comical song goes like this:

"And it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains
Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains
It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors
When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores"

Answer: Black

"The Pirates of Penzance" has a great song called "The Pirate King" which was written by Gilbert and Sullivan in 1879. "The Pirates of Penzance" was the only Gilbert and Sullivan opera to have its official premier occur in the USA. "The Pirate King" appeared in Act I, Scene III. Some of the lyrics, sung by the King, include these:

"Oh, better far to live and die
Under the brave black flag I fly,
Than play a sanctimonious part,
With a pirate head and a pirate heart.
Away to the cheating world go you,
Where pirates all are well-to-do;
But I'll be true to the song I sing,
And live and die a Pirate King.
For I am a Pirate King!
And it is, it is a glorious thing
To be a Pirate King!
For I am a Pirate King!"

Answer: Of gold

The "Shiver My Timbers" song by Barry Mann, is on the soundtrack for "Muppets Treasure Island" (1996). This song was performed by Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Brian Henson, Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Bill Barretta, and John Henson. Here are some of the lyrics:


"Shiver my timbers, shiver my soul
Yo Ho He Ho
There are men whose hearts as black as coal

And they sailed their ship across the ocean blue
A blood thirsty captain and a cut throat crew.
Its a darker tale as was ever told
Of a lust for treasure and a love of gold"

Answer: Deliberation

Also from "Muppets Treasure Island" (1996), comes the song "A Professional Pirate" (1996) by Barry Mann. This song was performed by Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Brian Henson, Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Bill Barretta, and John Henson. Enjoy some of the lyrics for Long John and his pirates:

"Long John: When I was just a lad looking for my true vocation
My father said 'Now son, this choice deserves deliberation
Though you could be a doctor or perhaps a financier
My boy why not consider a more challenging career'
Pirates: Hey ho ho
You'll cruise to foreign shores
And you'll keep your mind and body sound
By working out of doors
Long John: True friendship and adventure are what we can't live without
All: And when you're a professional pirate
Bad Polly: That's what the job's about"

Answer: Edsel

"Lincoln Park Pirates" by American folk music singer-songwriter Steve Goodman sang this song on his studio album "Somebody Else's Troubles" (1973). Steve Goodman was born on July 25, 1948. His life was plagued with leukemia which brought about his death on September 20, 1984. "Lincoln Park Pirates" was written about a towing company in Chicago, which towed away almost anything. Here is one of the verses from "Lincoln Park Pirates."

"To me, way, hey, tow them away,
The Lincoln Park Pirates are we,
From Wilmette to Gary, there's nothin' so hairy
And we always collect our fee!
So it's way, hey, tow 'em away,
We plunder the streets of your town,
Be it Edsel or Chevy, there's no car too heavy,
And no one can make us shut down."

Answer: Yo ho

"Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life For Me)" (1967) was written by Xavier Atencio, with music by George Bruns as the theme song for the Disney theme park attractions "Pirates of the Caribbean". A few bars of the song are sung in "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003)and again in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007). I hope you enjoy the lyrics from two of the verses!

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We pillage, plunder, we rifle and loot.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.
We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle and even highjack.
Drink up me 'earties, yo ho."

Answer: For the rest

"Dead Man's Chest" also known as "Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest" was expanded into a poem by Young E. Allison in 1891. The first verse, originally written by Robert Louis Stevenson for "Treasure Island" (1883.) was originally called "Derelect". Some of the lyrics go like this:

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
The mate was fixed by the bosun's pike
The bosun brained with a marlinspike
And cookey's throat was marked belike
It had been gripped by fingers ten;
And there they lay, all good dead men
Like break o'day in a boozing ken
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

Fifteen men of the whole ship's list
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Dead and be damned and the rest gone whist!
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
The skipper lay with his nob in gore
Where the scullion's axe his cheek had shore
And the scullion he was stabbed times four
And there they lay, and the soggy skies
Dripped down in up-staring eyes
In murk sunset and foul sunrise
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."

Answer: Hoist

Roger McGuinn, of "The Byrds" folk rockers recorded an album dedicated to the sea. The album, "Cardiff Rose" (1976), included the song "Jolly Roger" (1976), which goes like this:

"The sun come up on the Spanish sea
Our homeland far behind us
Being hunted by the King's Navy
But sure he'd never find us

Pull away me lads of the Cardiff Rose
And hoist the Jolly Roger"

Answer: Die

"Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End" (2007), included the song "Hoist the Colors" by Hans Zimmer. Mr. Zimmer composed music for over 100 different films including "Rain Man" (1988), "Gladiator" (2000) and all of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series. Here are the lyrics for "Hoist the Colors" to entertain you:

"Yo, ho, haul together,
hoist the colors high.
Heave ho,
thieves and beggars,
never shall we die.
The king and his men
stole the queen from her bed
and bound her in her bones.
The seas be ours
and by the powers
where we will we'll roam.
Yo, ho, haul together,
hoist the colors high.
Heave ho, thieves and beggars,
never shall we die.
Some men have died
and some are alive
and others sail on the sea
- with the keys to the cage...
and the Devil to pay
we lay to Fiddler's Green!
The bell has been raised
from it's watery grave...
Do you hear it's sepulchral tone?
We are a call to all,
pay head the squall
and turn your sail toward home!
Yo, ho, haul together,
hoist the colors high.
Heave ho, thieves and beggars,
never shall we die."

Answer: Sailor

"Drunken Sailor" is a well known and traditional sea shanty also known as "What Should We Do with a Drunken Sailor?" The lyrics were first published in 1891, however the actual author is unknown. Here, in part, is one variation of the song:

"What shall we do with a drunken sailor?
What shall we do with a drunken sailor?
What shall we do with a drunken sailor?
Early in the morning.

Chorus:
Way-hay, up she rises
Way-hay, up she rises
Way-hay, up she rises
Early in the morning.

Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Put him in the long boat 'til he's sober
Early in the morning."