Mad Dogs and Englishmen (song) Mad Dogs and Englishmen (song) "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is a song written by Noël Coward and first performed in "The Third Little Show" at the Music Box Theatre, New York, on 1 June 1931, by Beatrice Lillie. The following year it was used in the revue "Words and Music" and also released in a "studio version". It then became a signature feature in Coward's cabaret act. The song is especially known for the line "Only Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun" with which most verses begin and end. According to Sheridan Morley, Coward wrote the
Dogs (the Who song) suggested that the song was influenced by the music of the Small Faces, particularly their song "Lazy Sunday," which had been a recent hit. Entwistle later said that it sounded much more like the Small Faces and suggested that it would have perhaps been better for both groups if they had recorded it instead. Roger Daltrey concurred, stating that the song was Pete Townshend's "tribute to Ronnie Lane" and that "it’d have been better if Pete had just given the song to Ronnie in the first place. As a Who record, it was all a bit frivolous for me.” Pete