Yankee Doodle

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Yankee Doodle Image

"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known American song, the early versions of which date back to the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut. Its Roud Folk Song Index number is 4501. The melody is thought to be much older than both the lyrics and the subject, going back to folk songs of numerous peoples of Medieval Europe.

 

"Yankee Doodle" Lyrics


Yankee Doodle went to town
Riding on a pony;
Stuck a feather in his hat,
And called it macaroni.

Yankee Doodle, Doodle Do,
Oh! Yankee Doodle, Dandy,
All the Lads and Lassies,
Are as Sweet as Sugar Candy.

Other version of the song include the lyrics:

Yankee Doodle went to town
Riding on a pony;
He stuck a feather in his hat,
And called it macaroni.

Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
Mind the music and the step,
And have some tasty candy.

Other version of the song include the lyrics:

Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni.

Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy.

Father and I went down to camp
Along with Captain Gooding
And there we saw the men and boys
As thick as hasty pudding.

Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy

There was Captain Washington
Upon a slapping stallion
A-giving orders to his men
I guess there were a million.

Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy

"Yankee Doodle" Chords


G                     D7          G       D7
Yankee Doodle went to town upon a striped pony
G               C              D7            G
Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni

C                        G
Yankee Doodle keep it up Yankee Doodle dandy
C                               G        D7       G
Mind the music and the step and with the girls be handy

                          D7              G       D7
Father an' I went down to camp along with Captain Gooding
G                C               D7             G
There we saw the men an' boys as thick as hasty pudding
 
Repeat #2
                      D7         G             D7
And there was Captain Washington upon a mighty stallion
G             C            D7              G
Givin' orders to his men I bet there was a million

Repeat #2
              D7           G                 D7
There I saw a cannon gun a load for father's cattle
G                   C            D7               G
And every time they fired it off you only hear it rattle

Repeat #2
                D7              G             D7
Every time they fired it off it took a keg of powder
G                 C            D7            G
Made a noise like Father's gun only a nation louder

Repeat #2
                 D7             G                D7
And then I see a little keg its head all made of leather
G                       C                  D7                  G
They knocked on it with little sticks they called the troops together

Repeat #2
                       D7             G                 D7
The troopers too would gallop off and fire right in our faces
G                C             D7                   G
Scared me almost half to death to see them run such races

Repeat #2 

"Yankee Doodle" Origins

The tune of Yankee Doodle is thought to be much older than the words, and many peoples knew the melody, including those of England, France, Holland (modern Netherlands), Hungary, and Spain. The earliest words of "Yankee Doodle" came from a Middle Dutch harvest song (which is thought to have followed the same tune), possibly dating back as far as 15th century Holland. It contained mostly nonsensical and out-of-place words, both in English and Dutch: "Yanker, didel, doodle down, Diddle, dudel, lanther, Yanke viver, voover vown, Botermilk und tanther." Farm laborers in Holland at the time received as their wages "as much buttermilk (Botermilk) as they could drink, and a tenth (tanther) of the grain".

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More Nursery Rhymes:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

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“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” is a popular English lullaby. The lyrics are from an early 19th-century English poem by Jane Taylor, “The Star”. The poem, which is in couplet form, was first published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery, a collection of poems by Taylor and her sister Ann.