Noel Coward with Ray Noble & His Orchestra
His Master's Voice B 4269
mx 0B4210-2
Recorded 20th September, 1932
In tropical climes
There are certain times of day
When all the citizens retire
To take their clothes off and perspire.
It's one of those rules
That the greatest fools obey
Because the sun is far too sultry &
One must avoid its ultra violet ray.
The natives grieve when
the white men leave
their huts because
they're obviously,
definitely nuts.
Mad dogs & 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, gut Englishmen detest a siesta. In the
Philippines they have 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 & Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
Such a surprise
For the eastern eyes
To see,
That though the English 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.
It seems such a shame
When the English claim
The Earth,
That they give rise
To such hilarity
And mirth.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo,
He, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,
Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm, hm.
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 twleve'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 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 to two,
Even caribous
Lie around 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!
