tm Footsteps for Freedom Student lessons along the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Yankee Doodle ongs are used to share ideas and to communicate with people in ways that would help them Dandy Sremember. “One good song is worth a thousand addresses and proclamations,” said Joseph Barlow, a poet, statesman and friend of Thomas Jefferson, at the beginning of the American Revolution. Yankee Doodle In fact, during the American Revolution, songs were Yankee Doodle went to town used to shape how people thought about issues and A’riding on a pony other people. The popular song Yankee Doodle is a He stuck a feather in his cap good example. It was written by a British man to make And called it macaroni. fun of the American colonists. The British used it to ridicule those who thought differently from Chorus: themselves. They would sing it as a way of reinforcing Yankee doodle, keep it up, their beliefs and communicating to others that Yankee doodle dandy; American colonists were stupid and silly people Mind the music and the step, incapable of self-government. At the time, a “doodle” And with the girls be handy. was a foolish person. “Yankees” were the colonists in New England. “Macaroni” was a fashionable hair style Father and I went down to camp, popular in England at the time. Along with Captain Gooding; And there we saw the men and boys, The original song whose tune was taken for As thick as hasty pudding. Yankee Doodle was called Lydia Fisher's Jig. Chorus Sing the tune again with these words: Lucy Locket lost her pocket, There was Captain Washington Kitty Fisher found it; Upon a slapping stallion, Nothing in it, nothing on it, A-giving orders to his men, But the binding 'round it. I guess there was a million. It was quite common in years past to take a Chorus popular, well-known tune and to write new verses for it. In fact, is was years after Sir Francis Scott Key wrote his poem, To do: Learn the rhythm and pattern The Star Spangled Banner, that it was sung to of this song well. You will use it to the tune of a well-known British drinking song. write one of your own. Today that is our National Anthem. See Balladeer. Overmountain Victory Trail Assn., Inc. founded 1975 www.OVTA.org Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail is a trademark of OVTA, Inc. Footsteps for Freedom © 2003, OVTA & NPS - Teachers may reproduce these pages for class use. National Park Service .