In 1978, A&M Records released Tim Curry's debut solo album. Entitled Read My Lips, the album featured an eclectic range of songs (mostly covers) performed in diverse genre. Highlights of the album are a reggae version of the Beatles song "I Will", a rendition of "Wake Nicodemus" with full bagpipe backing, and an original bar-room ballad, "Alan".
The following year, Curry's second and most successful album was released. Titled Fearless, the LP was more rock-oriented than Read My Lips and mostly featured original songs rather than cover versions. The record included Tim Curry's only US charting songs: "I Do the Rock" and "Paradise Garage".
Curry's third and final album, Simplicity, was released in 1981, again by A&M Records. This record did not sell as well as the previous offerings, due in part to a less appealing, more maudlin sound. This record combined both original songs and cover versions, and is commonly held to be the weakest of the three albums.
In 1989, A&M released The Best of Tim Curry on CD and cassette, featuring songs from his albums (including a live version of "Alan") and a previously-unreleased song, a live cover version of "Simple Twist of Fate".
Curry toured America with his band through the late 1970s and the first half of the 1980s.
Curry's first full-time role was as part of the original London cast of the musical Hair in 1968. Here he first met Richard O'Brien, who went on to create his next full-time and perhaps still most famous role, that of Frank N. Furter in the Rocky Horror Show.
Originally Curry rehearsed the character with a German accent and peroxide blonde hair, but the character evolved into the sly, very upper-class English (He says 'dine' instead of down, 'brine' instead of brown etc) drag-wearing mad scientist incarnation that carried over to the movie version and made Curry both a star and a cult figure. He continued to play the character in London, Los Angeles and New York until 1975.
For many years, Curry was reluctant to talk about Rocky Horror, feeling that it was a trend that had gone too far and had distracted attention away from his later roles. However, in recent years he has been much more open about discussing the show and now recognises it as a "rite of passage" for many young people.
A Professional Pirate
Tim Curry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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?"
Hey, ho, ho
You'll cruise to foreign shores (Long John: Ha ha ha! Sing it, lads!)
By working out of doors
Long John:
True friendship and adventure are what we can't live without
And when you're a professional pirate
Bad Polly:
That's what the job's about
Long John:
Upstage, lads, this is my only number!
Now, take Sir Francis Drake; the Spanish all despise him
But to the British he's a hero and they idolize him
It's how you look at buccaneers that makes them bad or good
And I see us as members of a noble brotherhood!
Hey, ho, ho (Long John: Oh, I love it!)
We're honorable men (Long John: 'Tis poetry in motion!)
And before we lose our tempers we will always count to ten!
Long John:
On occasion there may be someone you have to execute
But when you're a professional pirate
Clueless Morgan:
You don't have to wear a suit
...What?
Mad Monty:
I could have been a surgeon
I like taking things apart!
Bad Polly:
I could have been a lawyer
But I just had too much heart
Clueless Morgan:
I could have been in politics
'Cause I've always been a big spender
Black-Eyed Pete:
And me... I could have been a contender
Long John:
Some say that pirates steal and should be feared and hated
I say we're victims of bad press; it's all exaggerated
We'd never stab you in the back, we'd never lie or cheat
We're just about the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet!
Hey, ho, ho
It's one for all for one
And we'll share-and-share-alike with you and love you like a son
We're gentlemen of fortune and that's what we're proud to be
And when you're a professional pirate
Long John:
You'll be honest, brave, and free
The soul of decency
You'll be loyal and fair and on the square
And most importantly—
When you're a professional pirate
You're always in the best of company!
The lyrics of "A Professional Pirate" by Tim Curry are about Long John Silver telling his crew how to become a professional pirate. He explains to them that becoming a pirate is a challenging career and that there is honor in being a pirate. Long John Silver says that being a pirate is about true friendship and adventure, and encourages his crew to be honest, brave, and free. He also emphasizes the importance of loyalty, fairness, and being on the square.
The song has a lot of wit and humor in it and it is clear that the pirates are proud of their profession. They acknowledge that they may have to execute someone on occasion, but they also say that they are honorable men who will always count to ten before losing their tempers. They further argue that they are victims of bad press and that they are actually the nicest guys you would ever want to meet.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was just a lad looking for my true vocation
When I was a boy, I was searching for my calling in life
My father said "Now, son, this choice deserves deliberation
My father warned me to make a careful decision about my future
Though you could be a doctor or perhaps a financier
There are safer options for a professional career like becoming a doctor or a financier
My boy, why not consider a more challenging career?"
Why not aim for a more challenging career?
You'll cruise to foreign shores
You'll sail to different countries
And you'll keep your mind and body sound
Working out of doors will keep your body and mind healthy
True friendship and adventure are what we can't live without
As pirates, our true friends are the ones with whom we share adventures
That's what the job's about
Being a professional pirate is all about true friendship and adventure
Upstage, lads, this is my only number!
Let me take the lead on this one, boys!
But to the British he's a hero and they idolize him
Sir Francis Drake is revered as a hero by the British
It's how you look at buccaneers that makes them bad or good
The way people perceive pirates defines whether they are good or bad
And I see us as members of a noble brotherhood!
I view pirates as noble brothers
We're honorable men
Pirates are men of honor
And before we lose our tempers we will always count to ten!
We always control our temper and take a moment to calm down
On occasion there may be someone you have to execute
Sometimes, executing someone is necessary
You don't have to wear a suit
You don't need to dress formally
I could have been a surgeon
I had the potential to be a surgeon
But I just had too much heart
I couldn't do it because I care too much
I say we're victims of bad press; it's all exaggerated
Pirates are portrayed unfairly in the media and accused of things they didn't do
We're just about the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet!
Pirates are actually very nice and friendly people
It's one for all for one
We believe in unity and sharing
And we'll share-and-share-alike with you and love you like a son
We'll share everything with you and love you like our own child
We're gentlemen of fortune and that's what we're proud to be
We're proud to be honor-bound, fortunate men
You'll be honest, brave, and free
As a professional pirate, you'll be honest, brave, and free
The soul of decency
You'll be the epitome of decency
You'll be loyal and fair and on the square
You'll be dedicated, impartial, and honest
And when you're a professional pirate
Being a professional pirate is a way of life
You're always in the best of company!
You're surrounded by great people when you're a professional pirate
Contributed by John B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Enterprise-D666
Professional Pirate lyrics:
[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
(HAHAHAH!)
And you'll keep your mind and body sound
(Sing it lads)
By working out of doors
(Show em’ you’ve been practicing!)
[LONG JOHN]
True friendship and adventure are what we can't live without,-
[PIRATES]
and when you're a professional pirate[POLLY]
-that's what the job's about
[LONG JOHN]
(spoken)
Upstage, lads. This is my only number
(sung)
Now take Sir Francis Drake, the Spanish all despise him
But to the British, he's a hero and they idolize him
It's how you look at buccaneers that makes them bad or good
And I see us as members of a noble brotherhood
[PIRATES]
Hey ho ho!
(Oh I love it! )
(Tis poetry in motion!)
We're honorable men
And before we lose our tempers we will
Always count to ten
[LONG JOHN]
On occasion, there may be someone you have to execute,-
[PIRATES]
And when you're a professional pirate-
[CLUELESS]
-you don't have to wear a suit.........what?
[MONTY]
I could have been a surgeon. I like taking things apart
[POLLY]
I could have been a lawyer but I just had too much heart
[CLUELESS]
I could have been in politics 'cause I've always been a big spender
[BLACK-EYED PETE]
(spoken)
And me, I could've been a contender
[LONG JOHN]
Some say that pirates steal and should be feared and hated
I say we're victims of bad press that's all exaggerated
We never stab you in the back, we never lie or cheat
We're just, in fact, the nicest guy you ever want to meet
(spoken)
Tell the truth, lad. Do you really think the Captain and the Squire are planning to share the treasure with the likes of us? Can't hear ya. No? And we being the rightful owners, Flint’s own crew, who shed our blood getting it here. Join us lad. Donate your compass to the treasure hunt and get a full share!
[LONG JONG and PIRATES]
Hey ho ho!
It's one for all for one
And we'll share and share alike with you
And love you like a son
We're gentlemen of fortune and that's what we're bound to be
And when you're a professional pirate-
[LONG JOHN]
You'll be honest, brave, and free!
The soul of decency!
You'll be loyal and fair and on the square
But most importantly,-
[LONG JONG and PIRATES]
-when you're a professional pirate
You are always in the best of company!
@EmpireFanatic
Brilliant classic song and performance by Tim Curry :D.
LYRICS: Copy/pasted:
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
Hey ho ho
You'll cruise to foreign shores
And you'll keep your mind and body sound
By working out of doors
True friendship and adventure are what we can't live without
And when you're a professional pirate
That's what the job's about
Upstage, lads, this is my ONLY number!
Now take Sir Francis Drake, the Spanish all despise him
But to the British he's a hero and they idolize him
It's how you look at buccaneers that makes them bad or good
And I see us as members of a noble brotherhood
Hey ho ho
We're honorable men
And before we lose our tempers we will always count to ten
On occasion there may be someone you have to execute
But when your a professional pirate
You don't have to wear a suit, what?
I could have been a surgeon,
I like taking things apart
I could have been a lawyer.
But I just had too much heart
I could have been in politics
'Cause I've always been a big spender
And me
I could have been, a contender
Some say that pirates steal and should be feared and hated
I say we're victims of bad press it's all exaggerated
We'd never stab you in the back, we'd never lie or cheat
We're just about the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet
Interlude
Hey ho ho
It's one for all for one
And we'll share and share alike with you and love you like a son
We're gentlemen of fortune and that's what we're proud to be
And when your a professional pirate
You'll be honest brave and free
The soul of decency
You'll be loyal and fair and on the square
And most importantly
When you're a professional pirate
You're always in the best of company
@zanetadavies5796
Upstage lads , this is my only number 😂😂😂
so many fantastic lines in this song ,
1. You could be a doctor or perhaps a financier , why not consider a more challenging career.
2.sing it lads , show him youve been practising.
3. Members of a noble brotherhood
4. I love it, poetry in motion.
5. When your a professional pirate you dont have to wear a suit ,
6. I couldve been a lawyer but i just had too much heart.
7. I couldve been in politics but ive always been a big spender.
Tim curry is so invested and I love it 😂😂😂
@brandywinebridget
“the reason Michael Caine and Tim Curry are so good in their respective Muppet movies is that Michael Caine treats the Muppets as fellow actors, and Tim Curry treats himself as a fellow Muppet”
@SuperMrHiggins
That's such a cool quote. Where is that from? I want to read that interview or whatever it is from.
@brandywinebridget
@Yakko Benefiel random Tumblr user lol
That was the whole quote, no further context to be found
@nobodybutaghost
I came to this clip because of a tumblr post, hello friend.
@Tropicalpisces
Wow. 🎉😮😅👏👏👏👍
@gorgonzola9373
@Internet Ghost hello friend we are in the same boat :>
@RichardX1
Tim Curry as Long John Silver in a Muppet version of Treasure Island was one of the best casting ideas in the history of the dramatic arts.
@ryanodonovan9497
It's only a shame that his version of Long John Silver wasn't in any of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Him interacting with Johnny Depp and/or Geoffrey Rush would've been more golden than the treasure that pirates typically hunt for.
@HypnoSwag
I adore Tim Curry.
@brandonhea4394
It’s his second favorite role