W.S. Gilbert - Oh, Better Far to Live and Die lyrics

[PIRATE KING] Oh, better far to live and die Under the brave black flag I fly, Than play a sanctimonius 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. 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! [PIRATE CHORUS] You are! Hurrah for the Pirate King! [PIRATE KING] And it is, it is a glorious thing To be a Pirate King! [PIRATE CHORUS] It is! Hurrah for our Pirate King [KING AND CHORUS] Hurrah for the Pirate King! [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-cla** 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! [PIRATE CHORUS] You are! Hurrah for the Pirate King! [PIRATE KING] And it is, it is a glorious thing To be a Pirate King! [PIRATE CHORUS] It is! Hurrah for our Pirate King [KING AND CHORUS] Hurrah for the Pirate King! [RUTH, spoken] Oh, take me with you! I cannot live if I am left behind. [FREDERIC, spoken] Ruth, I will be quite candid with you. You are very dear to me, as you know, but I must be circumspect. You see, you are considerably older than I. A lad of twenty-one usually looks for a wife of seventeen. [RUTH, spoken] A wife of seventeen! You will find me a wife of a thousand! [FREDERIC, spoken] No, but I shall find you a wife of forty-seven, and that is quite enough. Ruth, tell me candidly and without reserve: compared with other women – how are you? [RUTH, spoken] I will answer you truthfully, master – I have a slight cold, but otherwise I am quite well. [FREDERIC, spoken] I am sorry for your cold, but I was referring rather to your personal appearance. Compared with other women, are you beautiful? [RUTH, spoken] I have been told so, dear master. [FREDERIC, spoken] Ah, but lately? [RUTH, spoken] Oh, no; years and years ago. [FREDERIC, spoken] What do you think of yourself? [RUTH, spoken] It is a delicate question to answer, but I think I am a fine woman. [FREDERIC, spoken] That is your candid opinion? [RUTH, spoken] Yes, I should be deceiving you if I told you otherwise. [FREDERIC, spoken] Thank you, Ruth. I believe you, for I am sure you would not practice on my inexperience. I wish to do the right thing, and if – I say if – you are really a fine woman, your age shall be no obstacle to our union! [A chorus of girls is heard in the distance.] Hark! Surely I hear voices! Who has ventured to approach our all but inaccessible lair? Can it be Custom House? No, it does not sound like Custom House. [RUTH, spoken] Confusion! it is the voices of young girls! If he should see them I am lost. [FREDERIC, spoken] By all that's marvelous, a bevy of beautiful maidens! [RUTH, spoken] Lost! lost! lost! [FREDERIC, spoken] How lovely, how surpa**ingly lovely is the plainest of them! What grace – what delicacy – what refinement! And Ruth – Ruth told me she was beautiful!