Notes: Lots of folks believe that Cincinnati?s Coney Island stole its name from New York; according to legend, that ain?t right. The old timers in the area all know that the name hails from Pirate Cone, the vicious riverboat bandit who buried her gold somewhere along the banks of the Ohio. Some say the Fountain Square statue (also thought to be Cone herself) points out the gold?s final resting place, but all searches have come up dry.
Since the Freddies and I will perform at Coney Island?s Fall Festival this Sunday from Noon-2pm, I thought I?d let the public know the legendary truth in song. The Cliftones sat in for the session, turning this old river tune into a Dixieland delight. Huzzah!
Pirate Cone
By: Jake Speed
The Cliftones: trombone, tuba, trumpet, clarinet, piano, drums, backup vocals
Justin Todhunter: mandolin, backup vocals
Kentucky Graham: tenor guitar, backup vocals
Chris Werner (Go To Your Room Productions): sound engineering, mixing, and mastering
Come gather ?round, I?ll tell a tale
All about the Fountain on Fountain Square
The Genius of Water/the center statue, did you know
Is the riverboat bandit, Pirate Cone
Pirate Cone had the pirate look
Eye patch, parrot, and leg of wood
Still Pirate Cone was not the same
For Pirate Cone was a dame
Chorus:
Coney Island, Coney Island, named after Lady Pirate Cone
Coney Island, Coney Island, down by the river, the Ohio
Legend has it that down on the banks
Buried under shipwreck planks
Lies the bags of solid gold
Left by Lady Pirate Cone
Coney Island, Coney Island, grab a shovel, let?s go
Coney Island, Coney Island, down by the river, the Ohio
Louisville, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
She pirated in her river boat Caddy
Paddled up from New Orleans
Grabbing booty like Jean Lafitte
Back in the Battle of New Orleans
Cone stole gold from a Frenchman?s fleet
The story goes her gold is buried
Where the statue points on Fountain Square
So if you dig, please do be warned
Pirate Cone done cursed the coins
The thief will have to live his days
In a right-wing town with backward way
