"The Yankee Doodle Boy", also well known as "(I'm a) Yankee Doodle Dandy" is a patriotic song from the

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musical ''

Little Johnny Jones ''Little Johnny Jones'' is a musical by George M. Cohan. The show introduced Cohan's tunes " Give My Regards to Broadway" and " The Yankee Doodle Boy." The "Yankee Doodle" character was inspired by real-life Hall of Fame jockey Tod Sloan. Bac ...

'' written by George M. Cohan. The play opened at the

Liberty Theater The Liberty Theatre is a former Broadway theater at 234 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1904, the theater was designed by Herts & Tallant and built for Klaw and Erlanger, the partnersh ...

on November 7, 1904. The play concerns the trials and tribulations of a fictional American jockey, Johnny Jones (based on the real life jockey Tod Sloan), who rides a horse named ''Yankee Doodle'' in the English Derby. Cohan incorporates snippets of several popular traditional American songs into his lyrics of this song, as he often did with his songs. The song was performed by

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

in the 1942 film ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George To ...

'', in which he played Cohan.Collins, Ace. ''Songs Sung, Red, White, and Blue: The Stories Behind America's Best-Loved Patriotic Songs''. HarperResource, 2003, p. 112-120.

Modern performances and covers

In 2004, the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

placed the song at No. 71 on its AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs. A version of the song was recorded by Cohan's contemporary and fellow Irish-American Billy Murray, who sang it as indicated in the lyrics. Also a shortened lyric disco version of the song was sung by

Paul Jabara Paul Jabara, also known as Paul Frederick Jabara, (January 31, 1948 – September 29, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter of Lebanese ancestry, born in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote Donna Summer's Oscar-winning " Last Dance" from ...

on the 1977 album ''Shut Out'' and the 1983 album ''Greatest Hits and Misses'' on Casablanca Records.

Lyrics

James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy trailer

''Verse 1'' :I'm the kid that's all the candy, ¹ :I'm a

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United S ...

Doodle Dandy, :I'm glad I am, :So's

Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (which has the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the federal government of the United States or the country in general. Since the early 19th century, Uncle Sam has been a popular symbol of ...

. :I'm a real live Yankee Doodle, :Made my name and fame and

boodle Boodle is a slang term for money derived from the Dutch word 'boedel' meaning property or estate. Afrikaans inherited the word and its meaning from the Dutch, which probably accounts for its widespread use for money amongst English-speaking Sou ...

, :Just like Mister Doodle did, by riding on a pony. :I love to listen to the

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cove ...

strain, :I long to see

the girl I left behind me "The Girl I Left Behind", also known as "The Girl I Left Behind Me", is an English folk song dating back to the Elizabethan era. It is said to have been played when soldiers left for war or a naval vessel set sail. According to other sources th ...

; :That ain't a josh, :She's a Yankee, by gosh. : Oh, say can you see, :Anything about a Yankee that's a phony? ''Verse 2'' :Father's name was Hezikiah, :Mother's name was Ann Maria, ² :Yanks through and through. : Red, White and Blue :Father was so Yankee-hearted, :When the Spanish war was started, :He slipped on a uniform and hopped upon a pony. :My mother's mother was a Yankee true, :My father's father was a Yankee too: :That's going some, :For the Yankees, by gum. :Oh, say can you see :Anything about my pedigree that's phony? ''Chorus'' :I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, :A Yankee Doodle, do or die; :A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam, :Born on the

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

. :I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart, :She's my Yankee Doodle joy. :

Yankee Doodle "Yankee Doodle" is a traditional song and nursery rhyme, the early versions of which predate the Seven Years' War and American Revolution. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today. It is the state anthem of Connecticut. Its ...

came to London, just to ride the ponies; :I am the Yankee Doodle Boy. Footnotes: ¹ "All the candy" was late 19th century slang equivalent to "hot stuff". ² Pronounced the old-fashioned way, "mah-RYE-ah"

References

External links

''The Yankee Doodle boy'' performed by Billy Murray
(

Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project The Cylinder Audio Archive is a free digital collection maintained by the University of California, Santa Barbara Library with streaming and downloadable versions of over 10,000 phonograph cylinders manufactured between 1893 and the mid-1920s. The ...

)
Billy Murray's disc recording
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yankee Doodle Boy American patriotic songs Songs from Little Johnny Jones Billy Murray (singer) songs 1904 songs Songs written by George M. Cohan