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Yankee Doodle Lyrics

In pre-revolutionary war America the song "Yankee Doodle" was used as a derogatory reference to the American colonialists. The tune for Yankee Doodle is from 15th century Holland. Later it was applied to an English nursery rhyme "Lucy Locket".

Yankee was a term first used by Colonial Dutch in New York as an uncomplimentary name for the English Settlers of Connecticut. Later the British used the term in reference to the settlers of New England. Doodle was a term to mean a foolish dawdler or simple person.

Before and during the Revolutionary war the song was a marching chant of the British Army. As the war progressed the British made new verses to boast of victories in battle, to humiliate Colonial leaders and to boost their own morale. However, as the fortunes of war turned to victory the colonialist proudly donned the Yankee mantel. They embraced the song, they adopted it as their own and added new verses.

In Pre-Revolutionary America when the song was popular "Macaroni" was a style of Italian high fashion that was popular in England. It does not refer to pasta.

Brother Ephraim was in reference to Colonel Ephraim Williams of the Massachusetts militia. Ephraim donated land and property for the founding of a school that would become Williams. College.

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

Here are some of the most popular verses.

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

Brother Ephraim sold his Cow
And bought him a Commission;
And then he went to Canada
To fight for the Nation;

But when Ephraim he came home
He proved an arrant Coward,
He wouldn't fight the Frenchmen there
For fear of being devour'd.

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

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

And there we saw a thousand men
As rich as Squire David,
And what they wasted every day,
I wish it could be saved.

And there we saw a swamping gun,
Large as a log of maple,
Upon a deuced little cart,
A load for father's cattle.

      And every time they shoot it off,
It takes a horn of powder;
It makes a noise like father's gun,
Only a nation louder.

Cousin Simon grew so bold,
I thought he would have cock'd it.
It scaredme so, I shrieked it off,
And hung by father's pocket.

I saw a little barrel too,
The heads were made of leather.
They knocked on it with little clubs
And called the folks together.

And there was Captain Washington,
and gentlefolks about him.
They say he's grown so tarnal proud,
He will not ride without them.

He got himself in meeting-clothes,
Upon a slapping stallion.
He set the world along in rows,
In hundreds and in millions.

The flaming ribbons in his hat,
They looked so taring fine, ah,
I wanted pockily to get,
To give to my Jemimah.

During the American Civil War, the Confederates made their own lyarics.

Yankee Doodle had a mind
To whip the Southern rebels,
Because they did not choose to live
On codfish from his tables.

Yankee Doodle, fa, so la,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
And so to keep his courage up,
He took a drink of brandy.

      Dixie whipped old Yankee Doodle
Early in the morning.
Yankeedom had best look out
And take a timely warning.

Hurrah! for our Dixie land,
Hurrah! for our borders!
Southern boys to arms will stand
And whip the dark marauders




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