You led the largest ever empire

And though the times have changed since then
In so many ways your lasting legacy lives on
It casts a giant shadow even bigger than Big Ben

The Bard still treads all the world's stages
We thrill to Christie's mysteries
By your tales from Scrooge to Harry Potter we're entranced
Among the very best world round, near everyone agrees

Bloody brilliant
For all the things you've written
I must say, "Bravo"
You're so great, Britain

Yes, Hollywood is known for movies
And Broadway musicals win fame
Nothing's more American than good old rock and roll
But Brits in these endeavors roundly beat us at our game

The Oscars always love the British
Lloyd Webber shows play on and on
From Adele to Zeppelin, countless first-rate music stars
And then there's Chaplin, Hitchcock, Python, Beatles and James Bond

Awfully awesome
You bug, but I've been bitten
With success august
You're just great, Britain

A populace one snip our size
Have you a genius gene?
Is something in the water?
It's not likely the cuisine

For all our pride, compared to you
Our record's rather poor
Would we do better to declare
Dependency once more?

From Newton to the web, et cetera
The world is changed for all you do
And, just think, if we consider all the British Isles
Then you would claim James Joyce and Shaw and Wilde and U2

We shan't forget our auld acquaintance
The one we raise our glasses to
Though politically your days of dominance are past
Still, culturally the sun shines bright and never sets on you

Darling dearest
It's you with whom I'm smitten
You give such delight
You're quite great, Britain