[Verse 1]
Last year we took a chance, and went to Paree, France
But all those can-cannin' girls led us quite a dance
They Folies Bergeries ain't all they seem to be
'Cos when a girl says "No, no," she means "Ooh arr, oui, oui"
[Chorus]
So give me England every time, my dear
Give me England any time of year
Come on everybody raise a cheer, far and near
For the birds and the booze, now that summer's here
[Verse 2]
And when bouzoukis played a Grecian serenade
We shed a tear in our beer for the price we paid
"This ain't no place to be," complained old Jimmy Lee
"Ain't got no bingo, the lingo's all Greek to me"
[Chorus]
So give me England every time, my dear
Give me England any time of year
Come on everybody raise a cheer, far and near
For the birds and the booze, now that summer's here
[Verse 2]
I'll never go again, across to sunny Spain
To serenade a senorita 'neath her window pane
What a palaver, on the Costa Brava
I didn't know the Matador was her father
[Chorus]
So give me England every time, my dear
Give me England any time of year
Come on everybody raise a cheer, far and near
For the birds and the booze, now that summer's here
[Verse 3]
In nineteen seventy, we went to Italy
To sample all the delights down in Napoli
The signorinas there could not be keener there
'Cos I've a scar from her Dad to prove that I was there
[Chorus]
So give me England every time, my dear
Give me England any time of year
Come on everybody raise a cheer, far and near
For the birds and the booze, now that summer's birds and the booze, now that summer's birds and the booze, now that summer's here