Mad Dogs And Englishmen

Mad Dogs And Englishmen
Composer(s): Noël Coward
Performer(s): Noël Coward
and various other artists



In tropical climes there are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire
to tear their clothes off and perspire
It's one of those rules that the biggest fools obey
Because the sun is much too sultry and one must avoid its ultry-violet ray
Papalaka-papalaka-papalaka-boo
Papalaka-papalaka-papalaka-boo
Digariga-digariga-digariga-doo
Digariga-digariga-digariga-doo
The natives grieve when the white men leave their huts
Because they're obviously, absolutely nuts

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
The Japanese don't care to, the Chinese wouldn't dare to
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one
But Englishmen detest a siesta
In the Philippines there are lovely screens
to protect you from the glare
In the Malay states there are hats like plates
which the Britishers won't wear
At twelve noon the natives swoon, and
no further work is done
But Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

It's such a surprise for the Eastern eyes to see
That though the British are effete
they're quite impervious to heat
When the white man rides, every native hides in glee
Because the simple creatures hope he will
impale his solar topee on a tree
Bolyboly-bolyboly-bolyboly-baa
Bolyboly-bolyboly-bolyboly-baa
Habaninny-habaninny-habaninny-haa
Habaninny-habaninny-habaninny-haa
It seems such a shame that when the English claim the earth
That they give rise to such hilarity and mirth

Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
The toughest Burmese bandit can never understand it
In Rangoon the heat of noon is just what the natives shun
They put their scotch or rye down, and lie down
In the jungle town where the sun beats down
to the rage of man or beast
The English garb of the English sahib merely gets a bit more creased
In Bangkok, at twelve o'clock, they foam at the mouth and run
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

Mad Dogs and Englishmen, go out in the midday sun
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this stupid habit
In Hong Kong, they strike a gong, and fire off a noonday gun
To reprimand each inmate, who's in late
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two
Even caribous lie down and snooze, for there's nothing else to do
In Bengal, to move at all, is seldom if ever done
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun