Yankee Doodle (Traditional)

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CPDL #21484:   Sibelius 4

Editor: Brigid Baker (submitted 2010-04-19).   Score information: Letter, 1 page, 116 kB   Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Yankee Doodle
Composer: Anonymous (Traditional)

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB

Genre: Secular, Folksong

Language: English
Instruments: a cappella
Published: 1917

Description: The oldest of our National songs, whose origin has never been traced. Many sets of words have been associated with it, because during the Revolutionary War, it was used by both the British and Americans as a means of ridiculing the other. The text printed here is suggestive of a boy's point of view regarding the continental army.

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Original text and translations

English text

1. Fath'r and I went down to camp,
Along with Captain Good'in,
And there we saw the men and boys
As thick as hasty puddin'.

‘’R.:’’
Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle dandy,
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.
 
2. And there we saw a thousand men,
As rich as Squire David;
And what they wasted ev'ry day,
I wish it could be saved.
R.
 
3. And there was Captain Washington
Upon a slapping stallion,
Agiving orders to his men;
I guess there was a million.
R.
 
4. And there I saw a swamping gun,
Big as a log of maple,
Upon a mighty little cart;
A load for father's cattle.
R.
 
5. And every time they fired it off,
It took a horn of powder;
it made a noise like father's gun,
Only a nation louder.
R.

6. And there I saw a little keg,
Its head all made of leather,
They knocked upon't with little sticks,
To call the folks together.
R.

7. The troopers, too, would gallop up
And fire right in our faces;
It scared me almost half to death
To see them run such races.
R.

8. It scared me so I hooked it off,
Nor stopped, as I remember,
Nor turned about till I got home,
Locked up in mother's chamber.
R.