Description The comic opera ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ is one of W S Gilbert and A Sullivan’s most popular collaborations. It was the fifth work written by the duo, and was premièred in New York in December 1879. The plots of these works are characterised by convoluted satirical absurdity, with brilliant use of words and music of lasting appeal, such that they have remained favourites on the amateur and professional stage ever since their creation. The story here revolves around a band of feared but soft-hearted pirates, whom a group of policemen are sent to arrest. This whimsical song muses over the probability that the pirates are just like normal men, enjoying the simple pleasures of the countryside in their spare time.
