Mad Dogs And Englishmen Lyrics - Noël Coward

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 greatest fools obey 

Because the sun is much too sultry 

And one must avoid its ultra violet ray 

Papalaka papalaka papalaka boo 

Papalaka papalaka papalaka boo 

Digariga digariga digariga doo 

Digariga digariga digariga doo 

The native grieve when the white 

Men leave their huts, because 

They're obviously definitely nuts! 

Mad dogs and Englishmen 

Go out in the midday sun 

The Japanese don't care to 

The Chinese wouldn't dare to 

Hindoos 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 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 

Bolyboly bolyboly bolyboly baa 

Bolyboly bolyboly bolyboly baa 

Habaninny habaninny habaninny haa 

Habaninny habaninny habaninny haa 

It seems such a shame 

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 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 

Slut 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 Hongkong 

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, if ever done 

But mad dogs and Englishmen 

Go out in the midday sun