A song from H.M.S. Pinnafore by Gilbert and Sullivan. The title here is offered up by the Boatswain and crew of the Pinnafore as justification to their commander Captain Corcoran for his daughter, Josephine, seeking to elope with the apparently low-born Ralph Rackstraw, a common sailor. After all, they argue, what more could anyone want than that their son-in-law be English, since the English are so paplably superior to all other nationalities?
ALL.
He is an Englishman!
BOATSWAIN.
He is an Englishman!
For he himself has said it,
And it's greatly to his credit,
That he is an Englishman!
ALL.
That he is an Englishman!
BOATSWAIN.
For he might have been a Roosian,
A French, or Turk, or Proosian,
Or perhaps Eyetali-an!
ALL.
Or perhaps Eyetali-an!
BOATSWAIN.
But in spite of all temptations
To belong to other nations,
He remains an Englishman!
He remains an Englishman!
ALL.
For in spite of all temptations
To belong to other nations,
He remains an Englishman!
He remains an Englishman!
Perhaps, not surprisingly, the Captain is not stirred by this spirited argument, but things resolve to allow the lovers to be united in the end.
H.M.S. Pinnafore is in the public domain