Song - A Pirate's Life For Me
- Bible Brian
- 4 days ago
- 13 min read
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Marooned on foreign shores I stand, in a kingdom not my own.
I long to sail away again, to see the Holy throne.
Men strut like kings on borrowed breath, their thrones are built on sand1.
But holy tides are coming in, they bow to His command!
[Verse 2]
From brine to barrel, I was changed, my water turned to rum.
Not left to drink the salted curse, but His love fills my tum.
A little for the weary bones, but more than flesh could see!
No drunken fog, but Spirit-filled2, He poured His life in me.
[Bridge]
Let them raise their silver cups and toast their empty fame…
I’ve pledged myself to One alone, there’s power in His name…
Yo ho hooooo!
[Chorus]
A pirate’s life for me, I sail beneath one King,
No gilded lord nor bloody toff could take my soul from Him!
The sea may claim its due below and drag men to the deep,
But it could not hold my Captain3, He who conquered death and sea.
No chain but His I’ll ever wear, no law but His I’ll keep4,
Anchored in His holy word, He hears my every plea!
Let kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, let worldly banners flee,
Won’t bow before some bloody toff, a pirate’s life for me!
[Verse 3]
They speak of depths where sailors fall, where none return again!
But hear now what the prophets wrote, when the Lord moved their pen5!
The secret of Ol’ Dag Gadol, where Jonah once was sent,
speaks of the tomb where Jesus’ lay, before He rose again6!
[Verse 4]
Three days beneath the crushing dark, the sign was there to see!
Davy Jones, he has no claim on the King of majesty!
No beast, no wave, no sunken tomb could keep Him in the grave!
The Lord of every wind and tide has risen strong to save!
[Bridge]
They chase the burn of fleeting drink that leaves the soul undone,
But I have tasted better things, the work the Lord has done…
Yo ho hooooo!
[Chorus]
A pirate’s life for me, I sail beneath one King,
No gilded lord nor bloody toff could take my soul from Him!
The sea may claim its due below and drag men to the deep,
But it could not hold my Captain, He who conquered death and sea.
No chain but His I’ll ever wear, no law but His I’ll keep,
Anchored in His holy word, He hears my every plea!
Let kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, let worldly banners flee,
Won’t bow before some bloody toff, a pirate’s life for me!
[Verse 5]
I’ve found my treasure in His Word, rich spoils no thief can claim!
Yet deeper still the waters run, as ancient saints did claim!
A child may wade along the shore, but none can reach below!
The deeper that a diver goes, the more there is to know.
[Verse 6]
Usurpers try to bind His crew to all their worthless gain.
They cheat us by philosophy7, their own ways they proclaim.
Like sirens perched upon the rocks, tempting they may be.
The devil’s servants, clothed in light8, will never persuade me!
[Bridge]
The Lord can save a scallywag, with hearts as black as coal.
Redeem me by your precious blood, refine me pure as gold…
Yo ho hooooo!
[Chorus]
A pirate’s life for me, I sail beneath one King,
No gilded lord nor bloody toff could take my soul from Him!
The sea may claim its due below and drag men to the deep,
But it could not hold my Captain, He who conquered death and sea.
No chain but His I’ll ever wear, no law but His I’ll keep,
Anchored in His holy word, He hears my every plea!
Let kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall, let worldly banners flee,
Won’t bow before some bloody toff, a pirate’s life for me!
[Outro]
A rogue to all the world I be, but not before my King!
I listen for my Captain’s call, one flag I raise for Him!
Davy Jones can’t take my Lord, who made the land and sea!
I’ll sail towards the Holy God, who died and rose for me!
Background
To many readers, especially those unfamiliar with my ministry, "A Pirate's Life For Me" is among the least expected things to find on a ministry called "Bible Brain". The title alone seems, if not contrary to Christianity, at least somewhat disconnected. But there's method to this madness.
It might help to understand exactly how this song was born. It wasn't like many of my other songs, and its origins are multi-layered. First, for context, there is an online community known as the "Theological Zoo". This is a collection of Facebook pages, often named by alliteration, dedicated to posting theological content under their animalistic personas. Bible Brain has occasionally been considered "Zoo Adjacent", due to frequent interactions and associations with Zoo pages. But in late April 2026, I posted a hypothetical, asking what animal people suspect I would choose if I actually joined. 2 hours later, I answered with the following post:
"About 2 hours ago, I posted the following: “If Brian joined “The Zoo”, what animal would he name his page after?
(None of y’all have a shot of guessing correctly 😉 ).”
I was 100% correct. There were some epic guesses (and I call dibs on all of ‘em 🤪), but I’d already generated the profile picture. If anyone ever happens to notice an “Oracle Observant Okapi” dressed ready to take on the high seas… It’s not me. I have no immediate plans to actually make this page, I was engagement farming 🤣 With that said, here’s why I REALLY like the okapi.
Aside from just looking really cool, the okapi sits on a short list of “confirmed cryptids”. Cryptozoology is the study of “hidden” animals, called “cryptids”. These are animals that are at least claimed to exist, but are not yet recognised by Western science. Emphasis on WESTERN. In the 19th century, the okapi was one such animal. Explorers in the Congo were often told of these strange, dark, shy creatures with stripes like a zebra, stomping around the forests. But outsiders never saw them. They were the ultimate myth. The African unicorn. Literally, that’s what they named it. It was so mythological that it could only be compared to unicorns.
But the evidence existed. Hoof prints that didn’t match known animals, oral reports of them existing far outside of known zebra habitat, even the occasional skin. But no one had ever actually SEEN one. That is until 1901, when Sir Harry Johnston managed to obtain both a skin and a skull, proving, once and for all, that “Okapia johnstoni” was not a myth after all. It was a real animal, known to locals despite Western ignorance.
In the modern day, okapis are well known enough to be seen in modern zoos. I even have photos of a pair from when I visited Chester Zoo. But there was a time when conventional wisdom considered them a myth. For Christians, this is a familiar story. Our God has left plenty of “hoof prints” for the world to follow. The evidence is astronomical, including the testimonies of people who actually met the risen Lord. These testimonies are strengthened by the simple fact that those who gave them were willing to die, not for what they received by tradition, but what they saw with their own eyes. Yet, because Western science - or more accurately, Western Naturalistic Scientism - does not recognise God, we are called irrational for believing in Him.
Historically speaking, anyone who believed in the “African Unicorn” before 1900 probably felt quite vindicated in 1901. As Christians, we don’t know when our God is coming back. It may be very soon, but I’m of the rare opinion that it could as easily be centuries from now. But He IS coming. And there’s nothing “science” can do about it. The one who built this clock has full power over every tick. I know where I wanna be when it finally goes “bong”.
“But why the pirate gear?”, you may ask. Well, first, that’s just my style in real life. I was literally born by the sea, and I love to dress like it. But setting aside the criminality I obviously do not endorse, my particular draw to piracy is their independence. They’re a motley crew, serving under one Captain, but they don’t fall into line under some gutless toff. And that’s how I see myself. My love for the Church is unshakable, being inextricably linked to the Lord we all serve. But I will ABSOLUTELY go rogue for sake of better serving the King of the 7 seas. A lot of my beliefs, ideas, and arguments are original to me, even if they either mirror pre-existing things, or set me temporarily at odds with other Christians.
In a similar vein, I am an alien in my own country. I am, in my own words, “marooned” in Britain. I was born here, I was raised here, I am stuck here, but my heart belongs to another country. Conveniently, this is how Christians should be overall, for this world is NOT our home. We were born here, we were raised here, and we’re stuck here. But we were born again, we were raised in Christ who raised Himself, and He will bring us to His Kingdom in due time.
And that, ladles and gentlespoons, is why I would choose a pirate-themed okapi if I joined the Zoo 🏴☠️😎💒"
"A Pirate's Life For Me" closely mirrors the latter half of that post. Obviously, there's nothing about the okapi in the song (though maybe a partner song would be cool), but readers should immediately see the connection between verse 1 and the post. Here, I directly reference my feelings of being "marooned", which is both literal to myself, and spiritual to Christians as a whole. We recognise that our Kingdom is not of this world, because our King very explicitly said as much.
Despite Christ's Kingdom being beyond this world, it's also important to remember His authority has no limit. The Earth is His, and everything in it, and while He does raise up Kingdoms, no ruler's authority is absolute, even within their own jurisdiction. When Pharaoh asked "Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?" (Exodus 5:2), he set the stage for that exact question to be answered. Many rulers to follow learned the same lesson the hard way, and all who set themselves against God, likewise, will be thwarted.
The second verse moves on from outward judgement to inward reflection, by way of alcoholic imagery. Wine is swapped for rum, but this is obviously a reference to Jesus' first miracle. But there is a twist: The miracle is spiritualised. In real life, drinking sea water is very dangerous. A little sip isn't immediately lethal, but sea water contains more salt than the body can safely process, and you ultimately end up using more water getting rid of the excess salt than you drank. As a result, prolonged use of seawater leads to dehydration, and ultimately death. This is the "salted curse" to which the verse refers. We are sinners, for whom a cup of wrath has been prepared. Yet, Jesus drank it on our behalf, so that we may have eternal life.
From here, the song transitions to a slightly more literal application. Ephesians 5:18 tells us "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,", which verse 2 ends by alluding to.
The first bridge combines the two concepts, first alluding to the arrogance of man by saying "let them raise their silver cups and toast their empty fame". This isn't approval, but detachment. Arrogance is an inherently bad thing, but other people's arrogance has no bearing on us as Christians. We're responsible for our own allegiance, which of course is rightly owed to Christ. There is power in His name. So much power that there is no other name by which we are saved.
From here, of course there is a triumphant "yo ho ho", leading into the chorus. The chorus is riddled with themes of piratical independence, as the original post describes. But whereas the original post spoke more about "going rogue", the song alludes more to the principalities and powers that set us at odds against our "one King", our Captain who conquered death and sea.
In pirate slang, a "toff" is a member of the upper class. Snobby, arrogant, bossy, and generally at enmity with everyone else. This seemed like a perfect way to summarise Earthly forces which try to enforce their will over Christ's people. A refusal to bow to them is kind of a double edged sword. Scripture speaks with deep reverence for those who have authority, particularly if they are kings and the like. Romans 13:1-7 is especially clear on the issue of obeying government, and interestingly, in Matthew 23, Jesus even commands obedience to the highly corrupt Pharisees. However, Scripture also makes it clear that their authority is not absolute. "...“We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29). Thus, when we obey human authorities, it should only ever be as an extension of our obedience to Christ, not because of anything inherent to the "toffs".
While it's an afterthought, the lyrical video regularly depicts the "toffs" as religious leaders. They draw heavy inspiration from kings and philosophers, but are also directly inspired by Catholic and Orthodox clergy, and even the aforementioned Pharisees. This was very intentional, because the song explicitly challenges, confronts, and flat out rebukes man-made traditions - which the aforementioned groups place/d very heavy emphasis on.
Verse 3 is heavily saturated (pun intended) in Scripture. The first line, not so much. That's more of a sailor's respect for the deadly waters. The second line, however, weaves in divine inspiration, specifically referencing 2 Peter 1:19-21. Then the verse gets more specific, not merely stating that Scripture is inspired, but what, specifically, was inspired.
This, it does in a very personal way. "Ol' Dag Gadol" is a reference to another song I've written; a sea shanty entitled "Ol' Dag Gadol". Dag Gadol is Hebrew for "great fish", but in the song, I used it as an actual name for the fish that swallowed Jonah. Sort of like Ahab's White Whale, "Moby-Dick". Christ Himself confirmed that this event mirrors His own life. Or rather, His death and resurrection. "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40).
Verse 4 continues this theme, merging it with a reference to Davy Jones. Davy Jones varies by medium, with the most famous these days being the Disney villain from Pirates of the Caribbean. But his legend comes from far beyond that. He's more often portrayed as a spirit, or even a devil, who collects the souls of dead sailors. Davy Jones' Locker is a colloquialism for their final resting place, from which they will never return until Revelation 20:13 comes to pass.
But according to Scripture, it is not possible for Jesus to be held by death (Acts 2:23-24), thus our metaphorical Davy Jones has no claim on Him. I couldn't help but throw in a reference to the hymn "Mighty to Save", though I also replaced "mighty" with "strong".
The second bridge re-calls alcoholic references, again separating the singer from the world. This time it brushes aside "fleeting drink", alluding to how Earthly pleasures are temporary and not worth pursuing, especially given their eternal consequences. By contrast, the Bible regularly uses such pleasures - used correctly - to point to Christ. Psalm 34:8 tells us "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" In John 6, Jesus calls Himself the bread of life, comparing coming to Him in faith to "eating His flesh" and "drinking His blood" - spiritual actions that result in irrevocable salvation. Even Communion, a sacred ritual, involves consuming bread and wine in remembrance of Christ, proclaiming His death until He comes. Thus, the second bridge essentially compares fleeting, Earthly pleasures with everlasting treasure.
The 5th verse continues this theme, claiming to have found treasure in the word of God (i.e. Scripture) as treasure no thief can claim. The rest of the verse expounds on this by paraphrasing the quote "The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning, and deep enough for theologians to swim in without ever reaching the bottom." This is often attributed to Jerome, and it speaks to the simultaneous simplicity and complexity of Scripture.
No one can deny that Scripture contains some things that are hard to understand, especially given that 2 Peter 3:16 tells us there absolutely is. But even here, by saying "some" things, the natural implication is that not everything is. The general principle is called "Perspicuity". Scripture is clear, it isn't locked up in some kind of mystery like a war code. Nor is it open for interpretation, like abstract art. It can be grasped by those who diligently study it.
The 6th verse, once again, goes into the darkness of false teachers, calling them "usurpers" who try to bind Christ's crew to all their worthless gain. This combines two Bible verses: Colossians 2:8, and 2 Corinthians 11:14-15.
The former says "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." Throughout the chapter, it describes a lot of these traditions, in particular singling out asceticism, false humility, and self-imposed religion. Paul rebukes the appearance of wisdom in these things, and tells believers not to let anyone judge them in food or drink or festivals. In short, man-made tradition has no authority over Christians, no matter how forcefully the men who made them might insist otherwise.
The latter says "And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." This is a clear warning: The devil does not show up announcing "I am the devil, submit to God and resist me and I'll run away!" He and his minions are deceptive enough to pose as someone to whom you ought to listen. They may well even tell you things to which you ought to listen, simply because this is the best method by which to slip in things that will harm you. Like sirens, they tempt you to your doom by convincing you you're following something good. The antidote is the word of God.
The final bridge is an inward reflection on the beauty of the Gospel. It acknowledges God's ability to save even the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), and asks for continual sanctification. Sanctification is a continual process - nobody converts and instantly becomes Jesus. But once we have been redeemed by Jesus' blood, we do become gradually more and more like Him.
The outro essentially reiterates the entire song in four verses. It reinforces how Jesus is the only authority to whom we bow. It's even so casual about it that the toffs have essentially fallen out of mention, being only vaguely replaced by the phrase "all the world". With a final reference to Davy Jones, it affirms Christ as the one who is in full control, being the Creator of all things. In the final line, the song acknowledges the Gospel itself - Jesus Christ died and rose again to save sinners, and our goal is to "sail towards Him". That is, now we are Christians, and that is the course we will follow for the rest of our lives.
Scripture references
Matthew 7:26-27
Ephesians 5:18
Acts 2:23-24
Acts 5:29
2 Peter 1:19-21
Matthew 12:40
Colossians 2:8
2 Corinthians 11:14-15
AI usage
This song was produced using Suno.
The images in the lyrical video were produced with ChatGPT.
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