Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen For giving me such a warm and generous welcome I would also like to say thank you to Carton Haze's wonderful orchestral And like every other artist to appears here I am deeply indebted to Golden Haze up in the lightnboot And all the men backstage
This place is so efficiently run that really, it's a pleasure to appear here And lastly and by no means least I should like to say thank you to my brilliant young pianist, Peter Matts Now I shall like to sing you a song that I wrote very long ago and faraway It's called Mad Dogs and Englishmen
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 ultry-violet ray
Pap it like a-, pap it like a-, pap it like a bull, that's native Dig it, dig it, dig it, dig it, dig it, dig it do 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 12 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 12 noon, the natives swoon and no further work is done But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun
Oh, 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
Hop in the-, hop in the-, hop in the-, hop in the hut This ain't native, pay no attention Dig it, dig it, dig it, dig it, dig it out It seems such a shame when the English claim the earth That they give rise to such hilarity and mirth Hahahahaha, oh, dear
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 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
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, lie down
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps There is peace from 12 'til 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 Out in the midday Out in the midday Out in the midday Out in the midday Out in the midday Out in the midday sun