First World War.com - Vintage Audio - The Yankee Doodle Boy

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Sheet music for "Yankee Doodle Boy" Vintage Audio: The Yankee Doodle Boy
Updated - Sunday, 27 April, 2003

Based on the traditional U.S. tune Yankee Doodle Dandy, George M. Cohan penned The Yankee Doodle Boy some thirteen years before America's entry into World War I against the Central Powers, when it formed part of his highly successful Broadway musical Little Johnny Jones.

The song (also known as I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy) comprised a straightforward patriotic celebration of America. In 1942 a movie based around Cohan's life - he was also the composer of possibly the best-known U.S. song of World War I, Over There - was released, featuring James Cagney as Cohan. Still well-regarded today the movie won a collection of Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Cagney.

The version of the song available here was recorded in 1905 by Billy Murray (MP3 format 936kb).

Yankee Doodle Boy

I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy
A Yankee Doodle, do or die
A real live nephew of my uncle Sam's
Born on the Fourth of July
I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart
She's my Yankee Doodle joy
Yankee Doodle came to London
Just to ride the ponies
I am a Yankee Doodle boy

I'm the kid that's all the candy
I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy
I'm glad I am
So's Uncle Sam
I'm a real live Yankee Doodle
Made my name and fame and boodle
Just like Mister Doodle did
By riding on a pony
I love to listen to the Dixey strain
"I long to see the girl I left behind me"
And that ain't a josh
She's a Yankee, by gosh
Oh, say can you see
Anything about a Yankee that's a phoney?

Father's name was Hezikiah
Mother's name was Ann Maria
Yanks through and through
Red, white and blue
Father was so Yankee hearted
When the Spanish War was started
He slipped upon his uniform
And hopped up on a pony
My mother's mother was a Yankee true
My father's father was a Yankee too
And that's going some
For the Yankees, by gum
Oh, say can you see
Anything about my pedigree that's phoney?

By 1918 the percentage of women to men working in Britain had risen to 37% from 24% at the start of the war.