George Bruns and Xavier "X" Atencio, both Disney Legends, created "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" together, with Atencio writing the lyrics and Bruns composing the melody. Bruns arranged and composed music for many beloved Disney films, such as Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and The Jungle Book. Atencio started his career with Disney as an animator, working on such classics as Fantasia and Mary Poppins. He later became an Imagineer and scriptwriter and helped create Disney Parks attractions, including Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland and Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
