Yankee Doodle Dandy

Father and I went down to camp,
Along with Captain Gooding;
There we see 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 we see a thousand men,
As rich as Squire David;
And what they wasted every day,
I wish it could be saved.

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

The ‘lasses they eat every day,
Would keep a house a winter;
They have as much that I’ll be bound,
They eat it when they’re a mind to.

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

And there we see a swamping gun,
Large as a log of maple,
Upon a duced little cart,
A load for father’s cattle.

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

And every time they shoot it off,
It takes a horn of powder;
It makes a noise like father’s gun,
Only a nation louder.

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

I went as nigh to one myself,
As ‘Siah’s under-pinning;
And father went as nigh again,
I thought the deuce was in him.

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

Cousin Simon grew so bold,
I thought he would have cock’d it;
It scared me so I streak’d it off.
And hung by father’s pocket,

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

But Captain Davis has a gun,
He kind of clap’d his hand on’t,
And stuck a crooked stabbing iron,
Upon the little end on’t;

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

And there I see a pumpkin shell,
As big as mother’s bason.
And every time they touch’d it off,
They scamper’d like the nation.

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

I see a little barrel too,
The heads were made of leather,
They knock’d upon it with little clubs
And call’d the folks together.

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,
And gentlefolks about him;
They say he’s grown so tarnal proud.
He will not ride without ‘em.

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

He got him on his meeting clothes
Upon a slapping stallion;
He set the world along in rows,
In hundreds and in millions,

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

The flaming ribbons in their hats,
They look’d so tearing fine, ah;
I wanted plaguily to get,
To give to my Jemima.

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

I see another snarl of men,
A digging graves, they told me.
So tarnal long, so tarnal deep.
They ‘tended they should hold me

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

It scar’d me so, I hook’d it off,
Nor stopp’d, as I remember;
Nor turn’d about till I got home,
Lock’d up in mother’s chamber.

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

From: Marsh’s Selection, Or Singing for the Million. Vol. 1. New York: Marsh, 1854: 47-49.

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