Undoubtedly his most famous work is the soundtrack for Donkey Kong Country series of games, widely considered to be some of the best soundtracks to ever appear on SNES. Aside of the usual jolly "jungle" themes that fit to Donkey Kong's style in general, these games have a quite wide variety of different musical styles in different areas of the game. More recently, he's done the soundtrack for the Game Boy Advance port of Donkey Kong Country 3, and is working on a mystery Xbox 360 title.
Video game credits
(Please note: Although very few games prior to 1993 had credits, it is a known fact that David Wise was the only musician at Rare from 1985 to 1994, which effectively covers all of their NES and early SNES titles. Some very few games, such as Double Dare, did credit him.)
[edit]
1987 - Slalom (NES)
1988 - R.C. Pro-Am (NES)
1988 - Wheel of Fortune (NES)
1988 - Jeopardy! (NES)
1988 - Anticipation (NES)
1989 - Marble Madness (NES)
1989 - World Games (NES)
1989 - WWF Wrestlemania (NES)
1989 - Sesame Street 123 (NES)
1989 - John Elway's Quaterback (NES)
1989 - California Games (NES)
1989 - Taboo (NES)
1989 - Wizards & Warriors (NES)
1989 - Sesame Street ABC (NES)
1989 - Hollywood Squares (NES)
1989 - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (NES)
1989 - Jordan Vs. Bird: One On One (NES)
1989 - Cobra Triangle (NES)
1989 - Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II (NES)
1989 - Wheel of Fortune Junior Edition (NES)
1989 - Jeopardy! Junior Edition (NES)
1989 - Silent Service(NES)
1990 - Double Dare (NES)
1990 - Wheel of Fortune Family Edition (NES)
1990 - Jeopardy! 25th Anniversary Edition (NES)
1990 - The Amazing Spider-Man (Game Boy)
1990 - Captain Skyhawk (NES)
1990 - Pin Bot (NES)
1990 - Snake Rattle ‘N’ Roll (NES)
1990 - Super Off Road (NES)
1990 - Wizards & Warriors X: Fortress of Fear (Game Boy)
1990 - NARC (NES)
1990 - A Nightmare On Elm Street (NES)
1990 - Super Glove Ball (NES)
1990 - Cabal (NES)
1990 - Time Lord (NES)
1990 - Arch Rivals (NES)
1990 - WWF Wrestlemania Challenge (NES)
1990 - Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship (NES)
1991 - Digger T. Rock (NES)
1991 - WWF Superstars (Game Boy)
1991 - Battletoads (NES, Game Boy)
1991 - Beetlejuice (NES)
1991 - Super R.C. Pro-Am (Game Boy)
1991 - High Speed (NES)
1991 - Sneaky Snakes (Game Boy)
1991 - Sesame Street ABC & 123 (NES)
1991 - Pirates! (NES)
1992 - Wizards & Warriors III (NES)
1992 - Beetlejuice (Game Boy)
1992 - Indy Heat (NES)
1992 - R.C. Pro-Am II (NES)
1992 - Championship Pro-Am (Mega Drive)
1993 - Battletoads (Mega Drive, Game Gear)
1993 - Battletoads Double Dragon (NES, SNES, Mega Drive, Game Boy)
1993 - Battletoads in Ragnarok's World (Game Boy)
1993 - Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (SNES)
1993 - X The Ball (Arcade)
1993 - Snake Rattle‘N’ Roll (Mega Drive)
1994 - Monster Max (Game Boy)
1994 - Super Battletoads (Arcade)
1994 - Donkey Kong Country, (SNES) (with Robin Beanland and Eveline Fischer)
1995 - Donkey Kong Land, (Game Boy) (with Graeme Norgate)
1995 - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES)
1996 - Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, (SNES) (with Eveline Fischer) (Additional Music)
1997 - Diddy Kong Racing (N64)
2000 - Donkey Kong Country (GBC)
2002 - Star Fox Adventures (GCN)
2004 - It's Mr. Pants (GBA) (Additional Sound FX)
2005 - Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA)
2008 - Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise (DS)
2008 - War World (Xbox 360)
2013 - Sorcery! (iOS, Android, Steam)
2014 - Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Wii U) (at Retro Studios)
2014 - Tengami (iOS, Android, Wii U)
2015 - Star Drift (iOS)
2017 - Star Ghost (Switch)
2017 - Snake Pass (Switch, PS4, PC)
2017 - Yooka-Laylee (with Grant Kirkhope and Steve Burke)
The Pirate King
David Wise Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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.
And it is, it is a glorious thing
To be a Pirate King!
For I am a Pirate King!
You are!
Hurrah for our Pirate King!
And it is, it is a glorious thing
To be a Pirate King.
It is!
Hurrah for our Pirate King!
Hurrah for the/our Pirate King!
When I sally forth to seek my prey
I help myself in a royal way.
I sink a few more ships, it's true,
Than a well-bred monarch ought to do;
But many a king on a first-class throne,
If he wants to call his crown his own,
Must manage somehow to get through
More dirty work than ever I do,
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!
You are!
Hurrah for the Pirate King!
And it is, it is a glorious thing
To be a Pirate King.
It is!
Hurrah for our Pirate King!
Hurrah for the/our Pirate King!
The lyrics to David Wise's song "The Pirate King" are a celebration of the exhilarating freedom and rebelliousness associated with being a pirate. The first verse expresses the singer's preference for a life under the "brave black flag" rather than conforming to societal norms. They shun a sanctimonious existence in favor of embracing their pirate identity with both their head and heart. The singer proclaims that while others may choose a path of deceit and material wealth, they will remain faithful to the pirate lifestyle and live and die as a Pirate King.
The chorus further emphasizes the joy and pride that the Pirate King feels in their position. They assert their identity as a king of the pirates, reveling in the gloriousness of this role. The chorus is a rallying cry, exclaiming "Hurrah for our Pirate King!" The repetition of these lines adds to the sense of camaraderie and celebration among the pirate crew.
The second verse reveals some of the actions associated with being a pirate. The Pirate King boasts about their methods of seizing treasure, proudly admitting to sinking more ships than a typical monarch would deem suitable. However, their point is that in actuality, many rulers have to engage in dirty work in order to maintain their power. The Pirate King, therefore, infers that their actions are no different, if not less morally corrupt than those in power. They take pleasure in their role as a pirate, reigning over the sea with authority.
Overall, the song depicts the Pirate King as an unapologetic and charismatic figure, fully embracing their pirate lifestyle. It highlights the excitement, freedom, and defiance associated with the pirate way of life, contrasting it with the seemingly hypocritical and dirty deeds carried out by traditional rulers. The chorus serves as a rallying cry, reinforcing the pride and unity among the pirate crew who express their admiration for their leader, the Pirate King.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, better far to live and die
It is much preferable to live and die
Under the brave black flag I fly,
Embracing the bold symbol of piracy
Than play a sanctimonious part,
Instead of pretending to be righteous
With a pirate head and a pirate heart.
While possessing the true essence of a pirate
Away to the cheating world go you,
You may choose the deceitful path
Where pirates all are well-to-do;
Where pirates prosper in abundance
But I'll be true to the song I sing,
However, I will remain faithful to my convictions
And live and die a Pirate King.
And live and die as a respected leader of pirates
For I am a Pirate King!
Because I, without a doubt, am the Pirate King
And it is, it is a glorious thing
And being the Pirate King is undeniably magnificent
To be a Pirate King!
To hold the esteemed title of Pirate King!
You are!
Yes, you are part of this magnificence!
Hurrah for our Pirate King!
Hooray for our revered Pirate King!
When I sally forth to seek my prey
When I venture out to find my targets
I help myself in a royal way.
I seize whatever I desire with authority
I sink a few more ships, it's true,
Indeed, I may sink a greater number of ships
Than a well-bred monarch ought to do;
Than a refined ruler should morally justify
But many a king on a first-class throne,
However, many kings who sit on thrones of power
If he wants to call his crown his own,
If they wish to claim sole ownership of their crowns
Must manage somehow to get through
Must find a way to navigate
More dirty work than ever I do,
Through more morally questionable actions than I do
For I am a Pirate King!
Because I am unquestionably the Pirate King
And it is, it is a glorious thing
And being the Pirate King is undeniably magnificent
To be a Pirate King!
To hold the esteemed title of Pirate King!
You are!
Yes, you are part of this magnificence!
Hurrah for the Pirate King!
Hooray for the revered Pirate King!
Hurrah for our Pirate King!
Hooray for our revered Pirate King!
Hurrah for the/our Pirate King!
Hooray for the/our esteemed Pirate King!
Writer(s): Peter George Sullivan, Trevor Anthony Farrant, David Joseph, Warren Entner
Contributed by Natalie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.