After all of those lesbians turned out to be skeevy skeevy sons of privileged assbutts, I started lamenting to myself: where are all the straight white dudes who are not trying to deny me my rights, insult my community, ban rainbows, etc.?
I mean, I know there are some really great ones out there, but sometimes it’s hard to find them. Luckily this whole mess reminded me that I KNOW OF SOME!
In the parish town of Holbeton, England, there exist a lot of straight white boys. For such a small town, a disproportionate number of these boys have serious musical tendencies. I know this because I dated one of them.
One of these chaps, New Jersey born, UK artist Cosmo Jarvis, made a song he titled “Gay Pirates” (although youtube will only finish typing it for you if you leave out the gay) *cough cough* part of the problem *cough*:
THE SONG IS CALLED GAY PIRATES, YOUTUBE. GAY GAY GAY.
Anyway–the song is an upbeat but sad shanty about two pirate lads in love, stuck on a ship that doesn’t understand them. A seriously catchy hit, Cosmo, his band, their friends, parents, friends’ parents, and basically the whole town of Holbeton got together to produce this music video in their community theater:
When I talked to my ex-boyfriend about the song’s creation, he said that his friends wanted to make a really catchy song with a gay theme so that they could send this message: “gay straight whatever it’s all cool let’s go get a drink.” From what I gathered about where he’s from, going out to pubs is actually a really big thing, so to hear that they all go out together to get pissed and sing songs (and this song in particular as a local favorite) is just kind of heartwarming and more on the right track than, uh, other attempts from…um..allies?
Also maybe it’s just me but I’m about ready for “We deserve much better than we’ve had” to be the new “It get’s better”; because while the latter is a strong possibility, the former is a cold hard fact. Sing on, boys.
This is great!! <3
I never get tired of watching it again, it’s a great love song as well.
“I hope they didn’t tie up your hands as tight as mine”
I think we should just start a website specifically for the SWDs we know who get it right. All this shit about GGID and LezGetReal just makes me want to go up to my best guy friend and give him a hug for being a good ally.
Even though I know being not-a-jerk should not earn you a cookie, that’s just how I’m feeling right now.
Yes! This, exactly. I’ve been sort of going back and forth between wanting to hug and high five all the awesome straight white dudes I know online and IRL, and kicking myself for wanting to pat the most privileged group of people on the back for not behaving like total douchecanoes.
This song makes me really sad. And it’s awesome. And they gave away the acoustic version for free.
this is awesome
I definitely vote for “we deserve much better than we’ve had” as the new it’s gets better.
Yeah, because it doesn’t always get better, and that’s not the point anyway. Yes. This.
agreed.
did not expect to like this as much as I did. nice team pick. dude’s voice is pretty great, too.
Yo ho @Sebastian!
my first though on hearing that was, “does Autostraddle resident hottie/our boyfriend Sebastian know we have a song for him?” and then i went into a whole mental battle about whether sebastian has replaced our boyfriend adam lambert. eventually, i went with, “whatever it’s time for oreos” and then realized that 4am oversharing is currently happening.
can someone make a “gay pirates for sebastian” group cuz i would so join it. my nickname in high school was davey cuz my last name is jones. and i dressed like a pirate. and i have a parrot.
also i have mad love for sebastian.
my college used to have a pirate club. i wasn’t a part of it, but i have a few wooden parrots and a corset. i’ll be a part of gay pirates for sebastian.
wow. i cried from the 30sec mark til when it ended. this was f*cking lovely. thank you so much for sharing this. i really needed it.
the type of validation that comes from a sweet love song is immeasurable.
tell cosmo, he is love.
I shall have to teach this to my one gay friend from the area. He plays mandolin AND loves shanties.
I was so not prepared for how beautiful and sad this was. Thanks for making me tear up while eating my breakfast AS.
“Yo Ho, Sebastian.”
“Yo, Ho Sebastian.”
Commas: They save romantic pirate shanties.
THIS.
this is sad, but beautiful.
I spent the entire video crying, not gonna lie.
Amazing.
I love the chorus, but the verses seem a little creepily intent on describing each and every horrific physical blow dealt to the gay pirates in question, to the point where it gets nearly pornographic. It’s also a little weird, because while one can find circumstantial evidence of homosexual behavior among pirate populations via Google, there’s no trace of any record of anti-gay violence in the same groups. (Indeed, considering that pirates were already lawbreakers, they seem the most likely to disregard sodomy laws and accept their queer brethren.)
There’s this: ‘Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition’ For summer reading, maybe?
“In ‘Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition’, historian B. R. Burg investigates the social and sexual world of these sea rovers, a tightly bound brotherhood of men engaged in almost constant warfare. What, he asks, did these men, often on the high seas for years at a time, do for sexual fulfillment? Buccaneer sexuality differed widely from that of other all- male institutions such as prisons, for it existed not within a regimented structure of rule, regulations, and oppressive supervision, but instead operated in a society in which widespread toleration of homosexuality was the norm and conditions encouraged its practice.”
I think the lyrics themselves fit more with a 17th-18th cen. Navy ship setting. The military wasn’t exactly a friend to the gays, and British Naval ships were notoriously strict. But doesn’t the phrase “gay pirates” sound so much more badass? Plus the costumes are way cooler. I suggest we let it slide.
Got to love ‘gay pirates’! :D
The right way to support *anything* is by making a musical number out of it. Preferably with pirates. Everything is great about this.
Strongly agreed.
Pirates+Love+Humor+Gay+Sadness+Pseudo Captain Hook?
Awesome.
This is me not weeping. Not weeping. Not weeping…damnit.
This is me weeping about the adorable gay pirates.
There’s also Prop 8 the Musical, featuring several awesome people – including straight white ally Jack Black.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones
YOU DATED COSMO JARVIS????? I am beside myself with glee. I loved Pirates and also “Sure as hell not Jesus.” I’m a little surprised it hasn’t been on autostraddle already though- this video was all over my facebook newsfeed a few months ago.
hahah no, I dated Dom Helson (where the link leads). He’s a different artist entirely, I should have been more clear!
and yes! i’ve been meaning to write about this for a while i’ve just been having #lifefail .
This is amazing. Like, I’ve certainly thought about being a gay pirate but this really solidified those feelings for me.
Also, I love when straight guys do awesome things like this.
well. now i want to tattoo “we deserve much better than we’ve had” on my body.
Thank you so much for this. <3 It's sad but heartwarming and awesome and sweet and perfect.
Everything about this is perfect and wonderful and wow!!
Thanks for informing me of this video because I think my evening is a little better now because of it. Also, your last few lines is this article = accurate. I hope “we deserve much better than we’ve had” becomes a thing as well.
Standard drinking song. I love it so much. The downstairs neighbours do not.
awesome!
I first heard this song when Stephen Fry tweeted about it. What a great song, and it’s so damn catchy!