Yankee Doodle (traditional)

For works with similar titles, see Yankee Doodle.

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Yankee Doodle

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"Yankee Doodle" is an American patriotic song. The tune is much older than the lyrics, and dates back to the folk songs of mediaeval Europe. Its Roud Folk Song Index number is 4501. The first verse also predates the other verses, and may have been sung in England during the English Civil War as "Nankee Doodle".

Some historians have claimed that the song was written around 1755 by Richard Shuckburgh, a British army medic serving in the French and Indian War. The song was sung by British troops to mock the Americans they were fighting alongside, and was also sung by the American troops as an act of defiance. Further verses were added as time went on. In 1776, a 15-verse ballad version of "Yankee Doodle", attributed to Edward Bangs, and loosely based on the version attributed to Shuckburgh, was published with most of the versesthat are known today. The much older first verse was joined to Bangs' verses in the mid-1800s.

1538391Yankee Doodle

Versions of Yankee Doodle include:

Traditional lyrics

Edward Bangs' lyrics

Richard Shuckburgh's lyrics

Other variants

See also