Pirate Jenny

"Pirate Jenny" (German: "Seeräuber-Jenny") is a well-known song from The Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht. The English lyrics are by Marc Blitzstein. It is probably the second most famous song in the opera, after "Mack the Knife".

Content and context

The song depicts Low-Dive Jenny (German: Spelunken-Jenny), a character based on Jenny Diver (1700–1741).[1] Low-Dive Jenny is a lowly maid at a "crummy old hotel", imagining avenging herself for the contempt she endures from the townspeople. A pirate ship – with eight sails, and with 50 cannons[2] – enters the harbor, fires on the city and flattens every building except the hotel. The pirates come ashore, chain up all the townspeople, and present them to Jenny, who orders the pirates to kill them all. She then sails away with the pirates.

The song was originally placed in the first act and sung by Mackie's bride, Polly Peachum, who resents her parents' opposition to her trying her luck with Mackie and is fantasizing about avenging herself on the constraints of her family. However, the song is frequently moved to the second act and given to the prostitute Jenny. Jenny has given Mackie, her former lover, shelter from the police but is jealous of his wife, Polly. Eventually, she tips off the police, who catch Mackie and take him to his hanging. Her song suggests that she likes the idea of having Mackie's fate in her hands.

Cover versions

Many notable artists have covered this song independent of the stage show: Lotte Lenya (who originated the role of Jenny), Ute Lemper, Hildegard Knef, Nina Simone, The Dresden Dolls, Judy Collins, Marianne Faithfull, and Bea Arthur. Esther & Abi Ofarim recorded a German version of the song for their album 2 In 3 (1967). The Young Gods covered the song in their tribute album The Young Gods Play Kurt Weill (1991). Xiu Xiu covered the song in their Nina Simone tribute album Nina (2013). Shilpa Ray covered the song with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis on Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys (2013).[3]

gollark: The Islamic god is claimed to be omnipotent, I think. Thus, they know *in advance* if someone is going to go to hell or not when they're created or whatever. And then create them/allow them to be created *anyway*, knowing they're bound for eternal torture because a system they created makes them get eternally tortured. Just... why?
gollark: I consider eternal torture unethical *anyway*, but given the situation with god it's even worse.
gollark: I'm fairly sure Islam has a hell-type thing.
gollark: I think Islam has the whole "eternal torture" thing going on too, which is not very good.
gollark: I am not insulting you, merely your belief system.

References
  1. Du Noyer, Paul (2010). In the City: A Celebration of London Music. London, England: Virgin Books. p. 19. ISBN 978-0753515747.
  2. "Die Seeräuber-Jenny", Brecht's text (in German)
    "Seeräuberjenny" ("Pirate Jenny"), German and English text
  3. Legget, Steve. Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chantey at AllMusic
  4. In The New Comics Anthology, Bob Callahan, ed., Collier Books, 1991, pp. 170–173.
  5. "The Alan Moore Interview" at blather.net
  6. In Lars von Trier: Interviews, Jan Lumholdt, ed., University Press of Mississippi, 2003, p. 206.
  7. Weaver, Hilary. "Sasha Velour on the "Queer Fairy Tale" in Her New Film Anthology". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
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