From the revue “The Third Little Show”, 1931 Words and music by Noel Coward
Sheet Music
Accompaniment
Lyrics
Refrain:
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
The Japanese don’t care to
The Chinese wouldn’t dare to
The Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly
Fom 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
Refrain:
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 a jungle town where the sun beats down
To the rage of man and 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.
Refrain:
Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this foolish 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 around and snooze
For there’s nothing else to do.
In Bengal to move at all is seldom ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun