Yankee Doodle Dandy
by George M. Cohan
I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy
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About This Music
The song "Yankee Doodle Boy" was Cohan's trademark piece, a patriotic pastiche drawing from the lyrics and melody of the old Revolutionary War number, "Yankee Doodle". Other Cohan tunes in the movie included "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Harrigan", "Mary's a Grand Old Name", "You're a Grand Old Flag" and "Over There".
The song's origins were in a pre- Revolutionary War song originally sung by British military officers to mock the disheveled, disorganized colonial " Yankees " with whom they served in the French and Indian War . At the time, the most common meaning of the word doodle had the meaning of "simpleton" or "fool". It is believed that the tune comes from the nursery rhyme Lucy Locket . One version of the Yankee Doodle lyrics is attributed to Doctor Richard Shuckburgh, a British Army surgeon.
The Boston Journal of the Times wrote about a British band declaring "that Yankee Doodle song was the Capital Piece of their band music."