Yankee Doodle

Album: One Hundred Children's Favorites, Vol. 2 (1775)
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Songfacts®:

  • "Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the French and Indian War, fought from 1754 to 1763 between British troops in America and French forces that controlled what is now Canada. The "Yankees" were the American colonists the trained British forces viewed as sloppy and ill-equipped as soldiers.

    At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775, when American colonists fought for independence from Britain, the song was sung by the British troops because "Yankee Doodle" was a derogatory term for an American. According to the United States Library of Congress, when the Americans started winning the war, they appropriated the song and sang it proudly. It has since became a patriotic song for America.
  • This is a popular children's song, partly because of the goofy lyric, "Stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni." This lyric was meant to mock the fashion sense of Americans, as a "macaroni" was a term for a well-dressed man; the line implied that Americans thought they could look good simply by sticking a feather in their hats. In the 1770s, a macaroni wig was an extreme fashion and "macaroni" became a contemporary slang term for a fashionable English dandy. So when Doodle puts a feather in his cap and calls it macaroni, it is a slap at the ragged bands of American troops.
  • The lyrics to this song have changed over the years. Modern versions are best known for the opening verse:

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


    Early versions with up to 16 verses were printed; one of these verses contains a reference to "Captain Washington," which refers to George Washington, who became the first president of the United States:

    And there was Captain Washington
    And gentle folks about him
    They say he's grown so tarnal proud
    He will not ride without 'em
  • This is the official state song of Connecticut. From 1950-2008 there was a famous coffee and sandwich shop in New Haven called The Yankee Doodle, known to locals (often Yalies) as "The Doodle."
  • Tradition has it that the words to at least one verse were originally written by British army surgeon Richard Shuckburgh in September 1775 at Fort Crailo New York, set to the "Doodle-doo" song from "The Beggar's Opera" by John Gay. The words were composed as Dr. Shuckburgh cared for the wounded and observed the disheveled, disorganized colonial raw American troops (called "Yankees" by the British) as they returned to Albany after the victory of William Johnson's army over the French at the Battle of Lake George.
  • Nowadays, we call silly drawings doodles, but back when this song was written, a doodle referred to a silly, incompetent person. The word most likely derived from the German term dodel, meaning fool.
  • Before you start imagining American troops slogging through swampland, a "swamping gun" has nothing to do with an actual swamp. The term swamping was early-American slang for huge.
  • One variation of the tune, explains Chris Roberts, author of Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind The Rhyme, was used to help Yanks with their footwork. Roberts tells NPR: "It goes: 'Yankee Doodle, keep it up. Yankee Doodle, dandy. Mind the music and the step and with the girls be handy.' And this particular version was sung by predominantly the British as a reminder to our American friends that dance steps in Europe and in America, the colonies as it was, were different. And it's a reminder to check you doing the steps right and that you're holding the girl in the correct way."

Comments: 10

  • Doris from CaliMacaroni was a fashion during the 1700s. An extreme dandy. The song is says that Yankee doodle just put a feather in his hat and considered himself extremely fashionable
  • Madi from ForestI always thought that he was calling the feather macaroni but now I'm thinking...
    Maybe he's calling the town macaroni.
  • Ajb From BrownieWas it maybe the feather that he called macaroni? Hmmm, could also be this.
  • Ajb from BrownieYankee Doodle went to town. A-riding on a pony, Stuck a feather in his cap. And called it macaroni'. was it Yankee Doodle's cap,or the pony's cap?
    song just says "his cap"
  • Anonymous It took me forever to realize that when they put (chorus) it means to sing the chorus. XD
  • Seth from Rapid City South DakotaThese are not the entire lyrics. A lot is missing
  • Ruby I have a book from the mid 1900's, the lyrics are different than they are here...?
  • Lynne from Waco, TexasIn the need to wash our hands at least 20 seconds because of the covid-19 virus it brings back a memory of nursing school we were taught to sing Yankee Doodle Dandy which is equivalent to 20 seconds! It's very interesting to research Origins thank you
  • Leah from Brooklyn, NyYankee Doodle shares its tune with British nursery rhyme 'Lucy Locket,' the tune referred to in The Beggar's Opera, and was probably adapted from the earlier work.
  • Chomper from Franjkin County, PaThis song become so popular during the American Revolutionary War , that even Gen. George Washington ( later to become the first President of the United States ) had his troops played it on the drums and fife .
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