{"id":28954,"date":"2026-01-30T10:40:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T10:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/?page_id=28954"},"modified":"2026-01-30T10:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T10:48:21","slug":"beer-is-best","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/folksongandmusichall.com\/index.php\/beer-is-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Beer is Best"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AKA<\/strong><\/td>
<\/td><\/tr>
First Published<\/td>1934<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer\/composer<\/td>RP Weston and Bert Lee \/ Harris Weston<\/td>Roud<\/strong><\/td>RN23889<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Music Hall Performers<\/strong><\/td>Billy Danvers\/ Bobbie Comber<\/td><\/tr>
Folk performances<\/strong><\/td>Collected from the singing of:<\/strong>
Wheat, Maurice ; England : Derbyshire ; 1970
Canadian servicemen ; 1939-45
Modern performances<\/strong>: Hamish Imlach<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Beer is Best!<\/strong>
Words by RP Weston and Bert Lee. Music composed by Robert Harris Weston
Copyright 1934 Francis, Day & Hunter, Ltd. (From musescore<\/a>)

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.<\/em>
What did poor old Adam say to Eve?<\/em>
\"Beer is Best!\" <\/em>

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\u2018ry 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.<\/em>
What did Drake have tattooed on his arm?<\/em><\/em>
\"Beer is Best!\" <\/em>

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
\u201cThe sea\u2019s 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.<\/em>
What did Noah say when the Flood went down?<\/em><\/em>
\"Beer is Best!\" <\/em>

The Troopers all lay thirsty
Out there in Hindustan.
Up rushed the \u2018Pahnee-wallah\u2018
With water in a can.
The Colonel said \u201cWhat, water!
How dare you, Gungha Din!
Don\u2019t bring that awful stuff to me,
Run off and find a Brewery!\u201d
 
\"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.<\/em>
What does water do but rot your boots?<\/em>
\"Beer is Best!<\/em>

\u2018Twas 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 \u201cKeep the mouldy stuff!\u201c

\"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.<\/em>
Said the Pauper \u201cKeep your Christmas \u2018Pud\u2019\"<\/em><\/em>
\"Beer is Best!\" <\/em>


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 \u201cWhoopee!\u201c
 
\"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.<\/em>
As the Loch Ness Monster told MacKay<\/em>
\"Beer is Best!\" <\/em>
 
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 \u201cOn one point we all agree\u201d

\"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.<\/em>
And as Henry said to Cath\u2019rine Parr,<\/em><\/em>
\"Beer is Best!\" <\/em>
<\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n
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<\/a> with music composed by Weston\u2019s son, Robert Harris Weston. It was recorded on 78 by comedian and actor Bobby Comber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chorus was later sung by Canadian troops in the Second World War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least two other songs were written under a similar title:<\/p>\n\n\n\n