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
Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noël Coward Grape were originally meant to record "Mad Dogs and Englishmen", but the band withdrew due to a conflict between members; Space recorded the song instead. In addition, the final song recorded, Damon Albarn and Michael Nyman's version of "London Pride", was nearly rejected due to being, reportedly, almost unrecognisable in its original version. Tennant ordered the song to be kept, though Albarn had already agreed to make changes by that time. Suede were asked to release their version of "Poor Little Rich Girl" as a single but declined in order to focus on preparing their next album, "Head Music". Twentieth-Century