Al die willen te kaap'ren varen
Moeten mannen met baarden zijn
Jan, Pier, Tjores en Corneel
Die hebben baarden, die hebben baarden
Jan, Pier, Tjores en Corneel
Die hebben baarden, zij varen mee
The first album of the Dutch folk band Fungus also contains their biggest hit. It is a nice rendition of a well known children’s song. Well known, even though most people think it is about four men with beards: Jan, Piet, Joris en Corneel.
Kaap’ren varen is a longstanding Dutch custom of government condoned piracy. Piracy, or the act of attacking and looting ships has always been a plague of the life on the high seas, but several European governments made money and political gain out of it be giving out permits to do it. To the enemy more specifically. This protected piracy was called privateering.