Ronald Frankau's 'He's a perfect little gentleman - the swine!'

Here's a PDF I made of a small pamphlet of World War II propaganda verses from that old Etonian smut-merchant of the 1930s, Ronald Frankau.

He's a Perfect Little Gentleman - The Swine

If you're new to Frankau, he can be a bit of a one-joke comedian, but generous and open-minded listeners will find here (hidden behind a pose of shockingly facetious faux-naïveté) a passionate defence of free speech.

Listening to the tracks again, I'm still a little astonished that Frankau was able to record so many of these libidinous ditties. A CD of his recordings is available at Windyridge, the tone of which can fairly be judged from these mp3s.

I should warn you that 'I'd Rather Be A Savage' is, well, a little dated in its attitudes towards ethnicity. But when the rhythm is so hypnotic...

There's so much more I would like to say about Frankau, about his erratic phrasing and tone-deaf singing, how his name wants placing under 'satyriasis' in the dictionary, but you've probably got enough to go on now to make up your own mind!


Everyone's Got Sex Appeal For Someone


I'd Rather Be A Savage