Don't Let's Be Beastly To The Germans Lyrics - Noël Coward

Verse 1 

We must be kind 

And with an open mind 

We must endeavour to find 

A way- 

To let the Germans know that when the war is over 

They are not the ones who'll have to pay. 

We must be sweet- 

And tactful and discreet 

And when they've suffered defeat 

We mustn't let 

Them feel upset 

Or ever get 

The feeling that we're cross with them or hate them, 

Our future policy must be to reinstate them. 

Refrain 1 

Don't let's be beastly to the Germans 

When our victory is ultimately won, 

It was just those nasty Nazis who persuaded them to fight 

And their Beethoven and Bach are really far worse than their bite 

Let's be meek to them- 

And turn the other cheek to them 

And try to bring out their latent sense of fun. 

Let's give them full air parity- 

And treat the rats with charity, 

But don't let's be beastly to the Hun. 

Verse 2 

We must be just- 

And win their love and trust 

And in additon we must 

Be wise 

And ask the conquered lands to join our hands to aid them. 

That would be a wonderful surprise. 

For many years- 

They've been in floods of tears 

Because the poor little dears 

Have been so wronged and only longed 

To cheat the world, 

Deplete the world 

And beat 

The world to blazes. 

This is the moment when we ought to sing their praises. 

Refrain 2 

Don't let's be beastly to the Germans 

When we've definitely got them on the run- 

Let us treat them very kindly as we would a valued friend 

We might send them out some Bishops as a form of lease and lend, 

Let's be sweet to them- 

And day by day repeat to them 

That 'sterilization' simply isn't done. 

Let's help the dirty swine again- 

To occupy the Rhine again, 

But don't let's be beastly to the Hun. 

Refrain 3 

Don't let's be beastly to the Germans 

When the age of peace and plenty has begun. 

We must send them steel and oil and coal and everything they need 

For their peaceable intentions can be always guaranteed. 

Let's employ with them a sort of 'strength through joy' with them, 

They're better than us at honest manly fun. 

Let's let them feel they're swell again and bomb us all to hell again, 

But don't let's be beastly to the Hun. 

Refrain 4 

Don't let's be beastly to the Germans 

For you can't deprive a ganster of his gun 

Though they've been a little naughty to the Czechs and Poles and Dutch 

But I don't suppose those countries really minded very much 

Let's be free with them and share the B.B.C. with them. 

We mustn't prevent them basking in the sun. 

Let's soften their defeat again-and build their bloody fleet again, 

But don't let's be beastly to the Hun.