Early Morning

 The cat, of course, thinks British Summer Time still applies- and comes fussing round us at six o'clock to tell us we've overslept. 

I dreamed I'd gone into the school chapel in pursuit of my duties, only to find someone had set fire to a couple of flags that were being displayed at altars- one at the high altar, one at a side altar- destroying the flags and causing smoke damage to the building.  The flags were "peace flags" (whatever that means) so the crime was clearly political/ideological. I went to the head prefect and told him about it and he escorted me to the headmaster's office. "The chapel has been desecrated," I said. "I know" the headmaster replied, then proceeded to tell me off for not having come to him first. He  looked a bit like Mads Mikkelson. An argument ensued which ended with me storming out, having first told him to go fuck himself.

Pirate Songs

 Ailz and I listened to an album of "pirate songs".

It was very good.

Did it contain any songs that were definitely and irrefutably sung by pirates?

No, it didn't.

Indeed most of the songs on the album were from the 19th century and later- long after the golden age of piracy had faded to a sunset glow.

Is there indeed even such a thing as a pirate song? 

I don't believe there is.

There are songs about pirates- like Andrew Barton and Captain Kidd- but were they sung on the quarterdeck? 

Probably not.

The only song I know about pirates by pirates is the one in Treasure Island- and it's a fake.

Seamen sang- and pirates were seamen- and I expect they sang the same songs as other seamen- shanteys and folk songs and the current hits of the day.

They were probably as fond of a sentimental ballad as the next man.

Songs without the least tang of salt. 

I imagine Blackbeard, standing on the poop deck of The Queen Anne's Revenge, cutlass in fist and fusees fizzing in his beard, singing to himself as he goes into battle. 

And what's he singing?

He's singing a song from the shows.

You know, the ones written by Mr Handel....