It Takes the Irish to Beat the Dutch

"It Takes the Irish to Beat the Dutch" is a song written in 1903 by Edward Madden and Theodore Morse.

The song has several verses, each of them filled with stereotypical Irish bragging about their supposed superiority to Germans ("Dutch" in old-fashioned terminology). The chorus is in the form of a limerick. Sample lyric:


 * The Germans are a mighty race improving every year
 * They lead the world in science, sauerkraut, and lager beer
 * But there's a race surpassing them in this world and the next
 * And on the tomb of Germany someday you'll read this text


 * It takes the Irish to beat the Dutch
 * What the Irish can't accomplish it don't amount to much
 * With their scientific tricks
 * They could never fool the Micks
 * You can bet it takes the Irish to beat the Dutch