"Pirate Jenny" (German: "Seeräuber-Jenny") is a well-known song fromThe Threepenny Opera byKurt Weill, with lyrics byBertolt Brecht. The English lyrics are byMarc Blitzstein. It is one of the best known songs in the opera, after "Mack the Knife".

The song depicts Low-Dive Jenny (German: Spelunken-Jenny), a character borrowed fromJohn Gay'sThe Beggar's Opera, and he in turn based that character on the historical person ofJenny 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. Apirate 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 hishanging. Her song suggests that she likes the idea of having Mackie's fate in her hands.

Many notable artists have covered this song independently of the stage show:Lotte Lenya (who originated the role of Jenny),Nina Simone in a highly dramatic live performance,Ute Lemper,Hildegard Knef,The Dresden Dolls,Judy Collins,Marc Almond,Marianne Faithfull,Steeleye Span, andBea Arthur.Esther & Abi Ofarim recorded a German version of the song for their album2 In 3 (1967).The Young Gods covered the song in their tribute albumThe Young Gods Play Kurt Weill (1991).Xiu Xiu covered the song in their Nina Simone tribute albumNina (2013).Shilpa Ray covered the song withNick Cave andWarren Ellis onSon of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys (2013).^[3]

• The song was an inspiration forBob Dylan's "When the Ship Comes In". As a tribute to Lotte Lenya, Dylan later put the artwork for one of her albums on display on the cover of his 1965 albumBringing It All Back Home. In his 2004 memoir, Dylan described the enormous influence that "Pirate Jenny" had on his songwriting development.^[4]
• Clifford Harper drew a graphic adaptation of the song, entitled "The Black Freighter" in the magazineAnarchy No. 2.^[5]
• Comic-book writerAlan Moore cited this song as one of the inspirations forthe Black Freighter pirate material inWatchmen.^[6] TheNina Simone version also appears on thesoundtrack for the motion picture, and during the credits of thedirect-to-video animated featureTales of the Black Freighter. In the2019 TV series,Jessica Camacho portrays "Pirate Jenny", a member of the Tulsa police.
• InThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, also written by Alan Moore, Jenny's revenge fantasy is taken as a literal event in which "Janni", who isCaptain Nemo's daughter, isgang raped and summons the crew of theNautilus to slaughter her rapists and the indifferent spectators alike.
• The song was inspiration forLars von Trier'sDogville (2003), a film about a mistreated woman who seeks revenge on her neighbors.^[7]
• The song is paraphrased onChico Buarque's "Geni e o Zepelim". This song is a number from his musical playÓpera do Malandro, which is based on Brecht'sThe Threepenny Opera. In Chico's version, Jenny (Geni) ends up saving the city, just to be despised (again) immediately after.
• Sasha Velour performed a version of the song, with lyrics altered to be about drag, in their short filmPirate Jenny, the first of their 2018 anthologyOne Dollar Drags.^[8]
• The title is referenced in the song "U (Man Like)" by Wisconsin based bandBon Iver on their fourth studio albumI,I.
• The lyrics of the song "Working for the Men" byDrab City paraphrase the story of Pirate Jenny.^[9]
• The song "Ich erinnere mich an die Weimarer Republik" by The World/Inferno Friendship Society references Pirate Jenny as a character who runs a bar and is introduced with the line "Pirate Jenny, she got her revenge, hey boys hats off to her."

• English lyrics
• German lyrics, with a literal translation
• "Pirate Jenny" onYouTube,Lotte Lenya
• "Pirate Jenny" on YouTube,Nina Simone
• "Pirate Jenny" on YouTube,The Dresden Dolls