Yankee Doodle
Cedarmont Kids Lyrics

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Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony
He stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni

Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step

And with the girls be handy!

Father and I went down to camp
Along with Captain Gooding
And there we saw the men and boys
As thick as hasty pudding

Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy!

And there was Captain Washington
Upon a slapping stallion
A-giving orders to his men
I guess there was a million

Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy
Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy

Yankee Doodle, keep it up
Yankee Doodle dandy

Mind the music and the step
And with the girls be handy!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Yankee Doodle" tell the story of a man named Yankee Doodle who goes to town riding on a pony. He sticks a feather in his hat and calls it macaroni. The chorus encourages him to keep it up, to mind the music and the step, and to be handy with the girls. The second verse tells of Yankee's father and Captain Gooding going to camp, where they see many men and boys as thick as hasty pudding. The third verse speaks of Captain Washington riding on a stallion and giving orders to his men.

The origin and meaning of the song are debated. Some theories suggest that it dates back to the French and Indian War or the American Revolution, while others suggest that it may have originated in Europe as a satirical song about Americans. In any case, the song became a popular patriotic tune in America during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Line by Line Meaning

Yankee Doodle went to town
Yankee Doodle rode along to the city

A-riding on a pony
Seated on a small horse, he rode towards the town

He stuck a feather in his hat
He put a feather on his hat

And called it macaroni
He pretended it was an elegant hat from Europe

Father and I went down to camp
My father and I joined a military camp

Along with Captain Gooding
We were with Captain Gooding

And there we saw the men and boys
We observed the crowd, both kids and men

As thick as hasty pudding
The crowd was as dense as a pudding made in a hurry

And there was Captain Washington
Captain Washington was present there

Upon a slapping stallion
He was riding on a majestic horse

A-giving orders to his men
He was commanding his soldiers