Yankee Doodle (Traditional)
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- Editor: Adriano Secco (submitted 2012-06-24). Score information: A4, 6 pages, 341 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Editor: Brigid Baker (submitted 2010-04-19). Score information: Letter, 1 page, 116 kB Copyright: Public Domain
General Information
Title: Yankee Doodle
Composer: Anonymous (Traditional)
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Folksong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
{{Published}} is obsolete (code commented out), replaced with {{Pub}} for works and {{PubDatePlace}} for publications.
Description: The oldest of the United States of America's national songs; its origin has never been traced. Many sets of words have been associated with the tune because, during the Revolutionary War, it was used by both the British forces and the insurgent Americans as a means of ridiculing each other. The text printed here represents a boy's point of view regarding the continental army.
External websites:
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.