I had the pleasure of interviewing a pirate named Captain Black Jack Murphy as we started working on a CD together with Murphy on vocals and me on autoharp. Songs: "Bonnie Ship the Diamond" by Captain Black Jack Murphy from An Interview With A Pirate "The Mermaid" by Captain Black Jack Murphy from An Interview With A Pirate "Isn't It Grand, Boys?" by Captain Black Jack Murphy from An Interview With A Pirate Notes: Setting the Record Straight About Pirates Live From A Pub CD The Captain's Red Shirt Business Seminar for Individuals Seeking Advancement in Privateering Intro music by The Tea Merchants Bonnie Ship the Diamondwords and music traditional The Diamond is a ship, my ladsFor the Davis Strait we're boundThe quay it is all garnishedWith bonnie lasses 'roundCaptain Thompson gives the orderTo sail the ocean wideWhere the sun it never sets, my ladsNor darkness dims the sky For it's cheer up my ladsLet your hearts never failFor the bonnie ship the DiamondGoes a-hunting for the whale Along the quay at PeterheadThe lasses stand aroonWi' their shawls all pulled around themAnd the saut tears runnin' doonDon't you weep, my bonnie wee lassThough you be left behindFor the rose will grow on Greenland's iceBefore we change our mind Here's a health to the ResolutionLikewise the Eliza SwanThree cheers for the Battler of MontroseAnd the Diamond, ship of fameWe wear the trousers o' the whiteThe jackets o' the blueWhen we get back to PeterheadWe'll hae sweethearts enou' It will be bright both day and nightWhen the Greenland lads come hameOur ship full up with oil, my ladsAnd money to our nameWe'll make the cradles for to rockAnd the blankets for to tearAnd every lass in Peterhead sing"Hushabye, my dear" The Mermaidwords and music traditional, additional lyrics Marc Gunn Twas Friday morn when we set sailAnd we were not far from the landWhen the captain, he spied a lovely mermaidWith a comb and a glass in her hand O the ocean's waves will rollAnd the stormy winds will blowWhile we poor sailors go skipping to the topAnd the landlubbers lie down below (below, below)And the landlubbers lie down below Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship,And a brave old man was he,He said, "This fishy mermaid has warned me of our doom:We shall sink to the bottom of the sea!" chorus And up spoke the mate of our gallant shipAnd a well-spoken man was heI have me a wife in Salem by the seaAnd tonight she a widow will be And up spoke the cookie of our gallant shipAnd a red hot cookie was heSaying I care much more for my pots and my pansThan I do for the bottom of the sea Then up spoke the cabinboy, of our gallant shipAnd a nasty little lad was he.I'm not quite sure I can spell "mermaid"But I'm going to the bottom of the sea. Then up spoke the cannibal who snuck aboard our shipAnd a hungry mad invader was heYou can drown right now beneath the cold ocean wavesOr you can be dinner for three, your choice Then up spoke the parrot of our gallant shipAnd a smartarse parrot was sheBrawk, you're going to drown, your going to drown, BrawkAnd flew to the shore for her safety Then three times around went our gallant shipAnd three times around went sheThree times around went our gallant shipAnd she sank to the bottom of the sea Isn't It Grand, Boys?words and music traditional Look at the coffin with golden handlesIsn't it grand boys to be bloody well dead? Let's not have a sniffle,Let's have a bloody good cryAnd always remember the longer you live,The sooner you'll bloody well die Look at the preacher, bloody sanctimoniousIsn't it grand boys to be bloody well dead? Look at the choir boys, bloody castratiIsn't it grand boys to be bloody well dead? Look at the widow, bloody great femaleIsn't it grand boys to be bloody well dead? Look at the mourners, bloody great hippocritesIsn't it grand boys to be bloody well dead? Look at the flowers, all bloody wiltedIsn't it grand boys to be bloody well dead? Look at the tombstone, bloody great boulderIsn't it grand boys to be bloody well dead? Look at the whiskey, in buckets and bottlesIsn't it grand boys to be bloody well dead?