Don't Let's Be Beastly to the Germans

"Don't Let's Be Beastly To The Germans" was a satiric, patriotic song popular in Britain in World War II. It was composed by Noel Coward. Although popular when performed live (Churchill himself demanded several encores when he first heard it) the humour did not translate well over the wireless and caused some fuss, leading the BBC to ban the song.

Verse

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

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

We must be just- And win their love and trust And in addition 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

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

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

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.