Vintage Audio - Belgium Put The Kibosh On The Kaiser
Written by Alf Ellerton, Belgium Put the Kibosh on the Kaiser was published in Britain in 1915.
The song comprised a straightforward parody of the German Kaiser (Wilhelm II) and a celebration of the British war effort (and thus a decided recruitment booster).
Use the player above to listen to a version of the song recorded by Mark Sheridan in 1915.
Belgium Put The Kibosh On The Kaiser
A silly German sausage
Dreamt Napoleon he'd be,
Then he went and broke his promise,
It was made in Germany.
He shook hands with Britannia
And eternal peace he swore,
Naughty boy, he talked of peace
While he prepared for war.
He stirred up little Serbia
To serve his dirty tricks
But naughty nights at LiIge
Quite upset this Dirty Dick.
His luggage labeled 'England'
And his programme nicely set,
He shouted 'First stop Paris',
But he hasn't got there yet.
For Belgium put the kibosh
on the Kaiser;
Europe took the stick and made him sore;
On his throne it hurts to sit,
And when John Bull starts to hit,
He will never sit upon it any more.
His warships sailed upon
the sea,
They looked a pretty sight
But when they heard the bulldog bark
They disappeared from sight.
The Kaiser said 'Be careful,
If by Jellicoe they're seen,
Then every man-of-war I've got
Will be a submarine'.
We chased his ship to
Turkey,
And the Kaiser startled stood,
Schratch'd his head and said 'Don't hurt,
You see I'm touching wood';
Thewn Turkey brought her warships
Just to aid the German plot,
Be careful, Mr Turkey,
Or you'll do the Turkey Trot.
Belgium put the kibosh on
the Kaiser;
Europe took the stick and made him sore;
And if Turkey makes a stand
She'll get ghurka'd and japanned,
And it won't be Hoch the Kaiser any more.
He'll have to go to school
again
And learn his geography,
He quite forgot Britannia
And the hands across the sea,
Australia and Canada,
the Russian and the Jap,
And England looked so small
He couldn't see her on the map.
Whilst Ireland seemed
unsettled,
'Ah' said he 'I'll settle John',
But he didn't know the Irish
Like he knew them later on.
Though the Kaiser stirred the lion,
Please excuse him for the crime,
His lunatic attendant
Wasn't with him at the time.
For Belgium put the kibosh
on the Kaiser;
Europe took the stick and made him sore;
We shall shout with victory's joy,
Hold your hand out, naughty boy,
You must never play at soldiers any more.
For Belgium put the kibosh
on the Kaiser;
Europe took the stick and made him sore;
On his throne it hurts to sit,
And when John Bull starts to hit,
He will never sit upon it any more.
An 'Old Sweat' was slang to denote an experienced soldier.
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