Pirates
The Burning Hell Lyrics
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it’s time to give up life at sea.
They’ve all bought property in the neighbourhood,
they’ll be living next to you and me.
The PTA had a meeting today
about the children and they don’t know what to do,
and the clergymen say what about the church, then?
And the cops are shaking in their boots.
this is not fair this is not right.
You landlubbers, lock your cupboards,
keep your daughters out of sight.
Those pirates have chlamydia,
and their hair is full of lice.
And in a few short weeks this nice little town
Will be ridden with sin and vice.
There won’t be many smiling faces
and things will get a little out of hand.
Yo-ho, make way for chaos
when the pirates come to land.
Their clothes are strange,
and I heard they never change,
and their names are hard to say.
And once they come and settle down,
they’ll never go away.
I never put a stock in the character
of the seafaring, ship-going sort.
With their ---ings and their peg legs
and their stink of --- sort.
Who knows, they might be murderers
or pedophiles or godless communists.
Or worse, they might be liberals
and we just can’t take that risk.
‘Cause with every eye patch,
every skull and cross-bones flag,
every funny pointed hat and every sword,
there’s one more reason to show them all the door.
There won’t be many smiling faces
and things will get a little out of hand.
Yo-ho, make way for chaos
when the pirates come to land.
There won’t be many smiling faces
and things will get a little out of hand.
Yo-ho, make way for chaos
when the pirates come to land.
The Burning Hell's song "Pirates" is a satirical piece that examines the fear of the unknown and the other in a small community. The lyrics describe the impending arrival of a group of pirates who are ready to give up their sea-faring ways and settle down in the neighbourhood. This creates a sense of fear and confusion among the townsfolk, who are unsure how to react to these outsiders. The song highlights the xenophobia and mistrust that people often feel towards those who are different from themselves.
The lyrics also touch on the themes of morality and propriety. The townsfolk worry about the impact that the pirates will have on their community, especially on their children and on the local church. There are concerns about the pirates' hygiene and their potential criminal behavior, as well as a fear that they may hold political views that conflict with the conservative values of the town. The song suggests that these fears may be unfounded, and that the pirates may simply be misunderstood.
Overall, "Pirates" is a clever and thought-provoking piece that challenges our preconceptions and prejudices. It reminds us that it is easy to fear what we do not understand, but that we should always strive to be open-minded and accepting of others, even when they may seem strange or unfamiliar.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the pirates are all tired,
The pirates are no longer interested in living the life of the sea.
it’s time to give up life at sea.
The pirates have decided to settle down in their new neighborhood.
They’ve all bought property in the neighbourhood,
The pirates have purchased homes in the same community as the residents.
they’ll be living next to you and me.
The pirates will now be residing in close proximity to the people in the town.
The PTA had a meeting today
The Parent-Teacher Association had a gathering on that day.
about the children and they don’t know what to do,
The PTA is concerned about the children, but hasn't found any solution yet.
and the clergymen say what about the church, then?
The clergy is wondering about the church's next step in this situation.
And the cops are shaking in their boots.
The police officers are frightened at the possibility of the pirates' arrival.
St. Francis doesn’t have a chance,
Even a religious figure such as St. Francis won't be able to prevent the pirates' arrival.
this is not fair this is not right.
People see the pirates' arrival as being wrong and unfair.
You landlubbers, lock your cupboards,
The townspeople are being warned to protect their belongings from the pirates.
keep your daughters out of sight.
The pirates' reputation for unwelcomed behaviors is leading people to take precautions to protect their children.
Those pirates have chlamydia,
The pirates are assumed to be carriers of the sexually transmitted disease.
and their hair is full of lice.
The pirates are seen as unhygienic.
And in a few short weeks this nice little town
The townspeople are anticipating the negative impact that is inevitable when the pirates arrive.
Will be ridden with sin and vice.
People are fearful of the influence the pirates might have on their community.
Their clothes are strange,
The pirates' fashion sense is considered bizarre.
and I heard they never change,
The pirates are thought to be habitual in their lifestyle and habits.
and their names are hard to say.
The pirates' names are not easily pronounceable for the townspeople.
And once they come and settle down,
The pirates don't plan on leaving anytime soon.
they’ll never go away.
The pirates may take permanent residency in the town.
I never put a stock in the character
The townspeople had low expectations of the pirate's morals and behavior.
of the seafaring, ship-going sort.
The townspeople had a negative perception of pirates.
With their ---ings and their peg legs
The clothing and physical appearance of the pirates is seen as peculiar and unattractive.
and their stink of --- sort.
The pirates' hygiene is seen as awful.
Who knows, they might be murderers
The potential criminal behavior of the pirates is causing concern among the townspeople.
or pedophiles or godless communists.
The townspeople are creating various conjecture about the immoral character of the pirates.
Or worse, they might be liberals
Being liberal is seen as one of the worst traits for the pirates to possess.
and we just can’t take that risk.
People are not willing to take the chance on liberal pirates negatively influencing their town.
‘Cause with every eye patch,
Each physical feature or accessory of the pirates is seen as additional cause for concern.
every skull and cross-bones flag,
The symbolism linked to the pirates is adding to the townspeople's anxiety.
every funny pointed hat and every sword,
Each additional item associated with the pirates is making townspeople more and more uneasy.
there’s one more reason to show them all the door.
The negative assumptions surrounding the pirates have increased the desire to keep them out of the community.
There won’t be many smiling faces
People are already anticipating the negative consequences of the pirates' arrival.
and things will get a little out of hand.
The townspeople are predicting chaos due to the pirates' presence.
Yo-ho, make way for chaos
Chaos is seen as inevitable when the pirates come ashore.
when the pirates come to land.
The pirates' arrival is viewed as a disrupting, problematic event.
Contributed by Makayla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.