"Don't Let's Be Beastly To The Germans" is a satirical song composed by Noël Coward in 1943 during World War II. Although popular when performed live (British prime minister Winston Churchill 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.[1]
The refrain is:
- 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.