“Pirates - A Ballad of John Silver“ by John Masefield (read by Tom O’Bedlam)

The “pirate voice“ that everybody imitates is entirely the invention of Robert Newton, who played Long John Silver and Blackbeard. It is an exaggeration of the accents of men from Devon and Cornwall because many seafaring men came from these counties. Robert Newton, when he wasn’t being a pirate, had a remarkably mellifluous voice. (he enters at ) Incidentally, International Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day is 19th September Johnny Depp’s camp portrayal is probably close to the truth: these men may have had another reason to live apart from society which was viciously against homosexuality. On the open seas, outside the three-mile limit the law that hanged men for buggery didn’t apply. So they lived a full life of adventures, dangers and wild excesses - but then, as the wise man said, for a full life one should experience everything at least once - except incest and line danc