Beer is Best

AKA
First Published1934

Writer/composerRP Weston and Bert Lee / Harris WestonRoudRN23889

Music Hall PerformersBilly Danvers/ Bobbie Comber
Folk performancesCollected from the singing of:
Wheat, Maurice ; England : Derbyshire ; 1970
Canadian servicemen ; 1939-45
Modern performances: Hamish Imlach
Beer is Best!
Words by RP Weston and Bert Lee. Music composed by Robert Harris Weston
Copyright 1934 Francis, Day & Hunter, Ltd. (From musescore)

The shades of night were falling,
And falling thick and fast. 
As through an Alpine village
A gay young hiker passed.
"Excelsior!" he shouted,
As in his strong right hand 
He carried midst the snow and ice 
A banner with this strange device:

"Beer is Best!" "Beer is Best!" 
Makes you fit Makes you strong
Put more muscle on your "om bong pong"
Beer makes Bonnie Britons, beer has stood the test.
What did poor old Adam say to Eve?
"Beer is Best!" 

It was the gallant Nelson
Who in Trafalgar Bay
Stood on the good ship Victory
And saw the Frenchmen lay.
And when he saw the sailors
All drinking tots of rum,
Along the line his signal ran
To ev‘ry true-born Englishman

"Beer is Best!" "Beer is Best!" 
Makes you fit Makes you strong
Put more muscle on your "om bong pong"
Beer makes Bonnie Britons, beer has stood the test.
What did Drake have tattooed on his arm?
"Beer is Best!" 

It was the Schooner Hesperus
That sailed the wintry sea.
The Skipper brought his daughter
To keep him company.
The little maid was sea-sick,
The Skipper smacked her back,
And whispered to her tenderly
“The sea’s no good to you or me"

"Beer is Best!" "Beer is Best!" 
Makes you fit Makes you strong
Put more muscle on your "om bong pong"
Beer makes Bonnie Britons, beer has stood the test.
What did Noah say when the Flood went down?
"Beer is Best!" 

The Troopers all lay thirsty
Out there in Hindustan.
Up rushed the ‘Pahnee-wallah‘
With water in a can.
The Colonel said “What, water!
How dare you, Gungha Din!
Don’t bring that awful stuff to me,
Run off and find a Brewery!”
 
"Beer is Best!" "Beer is Best!" 
Makes you fit Makes you strong
Put more muscle on your "om bong pong"
Beer makes Bonnie Britons, beer has stood the test.
What does water do but rot your boots?
"Beer is Best!

‘Twas Christmas in the Workhouse,
The walls were grim and bare.
They brought round Christmas pudding
For all the paupers there.
One pauper got excited
And, using naughty words,
He hit the master with his duff
And shouted “Keep the mouldy stuff!“

"Beer is Best!" "Beer is Best!" 
Makes you fit Makes you strong
Put more muscle on your "om bong pong"
Beer makes Bonnie Britons, beer has stood the test.
Said the Pauper “Keep your Christmas ‘Pud’"
"Beer is Best!" 


It was the Eve of Christmas
That little Mickey Mouse,
When chased by some old Pussy,
Ran in a Public House.
He dived into a barrel
And swam for half an hour,
Then through the bung-hole, full of glee
He saw the cat and yelled “Whoopee!“
 
"Beer is Best!" "Beer is Best!" 
Makes you fit Makes you strong
Put more muscle on your "om bong pong"
Beer makes Bonnie Britons, beer has stood the test.
As the Loch Ness Monster told MacKay
"Beer is Best!" 
 
It was the League of Nations
Who, in the cause of Peace,
Had met out in Geneva
In hopes that wars should cease.
They talked of scrapping Armies,
Of scrapping Navies too,
Then Sir John Simon rose,and he
Said “On one point we all agree”

"Beer is Best!" "Beer is Best!" 
Makes you fit Makes you strong
Put more muscle on your "om bong pong"
Beer makes Bonnie Britons, beer has stood the test.
And as Henry said to Cath’rine Parr,
"Beer is Best!"

The song was originally made famous by Billy Danvers , though it was also sung by a number of other performers in the mid-1930s. The words were written by Weston and Lee with music composed by Weston’s son, Robert Harris Weston. It was recorded on 78 by comedian and actor Bobby Comber.

The chorus was later sung by Canadian troops in the Second World War.

By the 1930s when this song was first popular, Music Halls still existed in some parts of the country, but working people had many other sources of entertainment so strictly speaking you might argue that this is too late to be considered to be a true music hall song.

The song was almost certainly inspired by an advertising campaign. In late 1933, in response to concerns about falling sales, The Brewers’ Society launched a campaign to promote beer – beer in general, rather than a specific brand. The campaign lasted until 1941, and centred on the slogan “Beer is Best”.

At least two other songs were written under a similar title:

  • “For An A1 nation: Beer is Best” (1935) words/music by Nat Travers and Will Hyde – a song also associated with the Brewers Society campaign
  •  “Beer Is Best” (1969) in the musical play “Canterbury Tales” .

Bobbie Comber sings it (recorded c1935):

Hamish Imlach sings it (recorded 1969)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobbie_Comber

Sources:

Last Updated on January 30, 2026 by John Baxter | Published: January 30, 2026

image_print