I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy
A popular song in the early part of the 20th century was written by a famous American composer, George M. Cohan, called “The Yankee Doodle Boy.” It was written for a Broadway musical (a play with lots of singing and music and dancing in it) called Little Johnny Jones. It opened (had its first show) in November of 1904. The song became popular, however, in 1942 when there was a movie made about Cohan’s life called Yankee Doodle Dandy. Cohan was an actor, singer, songwriter, and producer, who was sometimes called the “man who owns Broadway.” (Broadway is the famous street in New York City where there are many famous theaters that have musical shows.)
Cohan was an Irish-American who wrote many plays and songs, and even starred in Hollywood movies. In the movie about his life, a fellow Irish-American actor named James Cagney played the part of (acted as the character of) Cohan. Several of Cohan’s famous songs can be heard in the movie, including “Give My Regards to Broadway,” “Your Grand Old Flag,” and “Over There.”
The song “The Yankee Doodle Boy” was in part about Cohan himself. He was (according to his parents, but not his birth certificate (the official document the government creates when you are born)) born on America’s Independence Day, July 4th. The lyrics (words) of the song refer to another song, “Yankee Doodle,” from the time of the American Revolution of the late 18th century. A doodle was a foolish or stupid person, and Yankee (in the Revolutionary War) referred to the American colonists fighting for their independence from the British. So a “Yankee Doodle” meant a stupid American, but because the Americans were smart enough to win the war, the song is often sung with pride.
Here are the words to “The Yankee Doodle Boy”:
I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy
A Yankee Doodle, do or die
A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam
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 the Yankee Doodle Boy
dandy = man who paid a lot (too much, usually) attention to his looks, his clothes, and/or his appearance.
do or die = no matter what, regardless of what happens, even if I die
a real live = used for emphasis to mean truly or honestly or actually
nephew = your father’s brother is your uncle, and you are your uncle’s nephew
Uncle Sam= traditionally represented the United States (with the same initials “US”), usually an old man with a long white beard and a red, white, and blue hat on
sweetheart = your romantic love
ponies = small horses, which children sometimes ride for fun
You can see a video of James Cagney singing and dancing in the movie here.
I remember my father singing this song when I was a child, and he had good reason to do so: He really was born on the 4th of July, back in 1923. Here’s to all the other Yankee Doodle Dandies out there!
~Jeff
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:19 am
Very intresring piece u got there,very educational Jeff
Man,every line has something to say.as usual,there is more to it that meets the eye.
In deed, every single country throughout the world has thousands appealing stories about what have become of them
Since the begining.
Seems to me, you guys must be proud of yourselves and your anccestors who put all they had in line to make it possible for you to celebrate something that seemed impossible once.
Happy independence day to you all; live long , prosper, and free.
July 3rd, 2009 at 1:50 am
Have a Happy day on the fourth of July for all our american friends of ESL pod!
Best regards from Spain,
Julio (Jack).
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:16 am
Yes, I know now Jeff why you like so much to sing, that´s because you remember happy times when you where a child who was at home listened to his dad singing without any other questions in mind.
It is so good to have nice records inside and I think that feelings and memories make the world better to us every day.
I remember James Gagney doing a play of a very bad man in some movie, with even a worst mother but never I could imagine him singing and dancing.
What a nice surprise, he was a great actor indeed.
My best to you Jeff as ever.
July 4th, 2009 at 3:22 am
Firstly, today I want to congratulate all of Americans in the 4th of July. I wish all of you have a nice day.
What a surprise I have had!. I didn’t know that James Cagney was so good dancer.
Certainly it is because I’m not so much freak of movies as my younger son, however I have always liked very much all kind of movies.
I only remembered James Cagney like a very bad gangster, in the same way that for me John Wayne is a hard and strong cowboy in western movies. I know that it isn’t true because both of them have made other kind of movies, (I also can remember the beautiful movie “Hatari!”, starring by John Wayne or “Man of a Thousand Faces” starring by James Cagney), however this is that I keep in my mind.
Anyway, this youtube video has made that I read his biography and I have been able to know a very important side of this big and former movie star that I didn’t know so far.
All the best.
July 5th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
The America Revolution was really extraordinary, especially 25 years before 1776 what happen at the time was great mystry needs to be expained, due to nobody wants to be out of British culture and policy or order, any way in my city in Erbil -Iraq last night i saw on TV that America Embassy invited important persons including me- jokingly.in anniversary on this wonderful day july forth, Inde’pendence’ day-Nat,ional holiday in Iraq- too -new butt
July 6th, 2009 at 5:20 am
Hi ! When I am reading all information you give us I am feeling I know nothing .
I saw many times the Uncle Sam ‘ s picture but I did not know why the Americans use this name .
The same with Yankee , the Americans ‘ nickname . Especially in English movies , yankee is something ironically . Now , I have understood why .
Dandy is a neologism in my country . We often use it .
And I must recognize I have not heard about James Cagney .
If you permit me and if I am not wrong I wish to your father long life and much , much health .
All the best for you all ,
Tania
July 7th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Hi ! I remember to my teacher of Physics. He always said us : you do not know the answer , do you ? Say the first thing that comes into your head. Usually the first blink is the best answer. This is the power of thinking without thinking. ” The locked box from our brains and makes the right decision even better than carefully planned ones ” – reading Malcolm Gladwell’s 2005 Blink on Google .
I have not known that Gladwell is so important writer . But you are the doctor , not us .
If I could, I should like to read his articles in The New Yorker on Google .
There is this book in our bookstore , too . But I do not know how many people can read it as a psychology genre . Thank you Doctor Jeff .
All the best for you all and try the power of thinking without thinking .
Tania
July 7th, 2009 at 3:16 am
Hi , again ! A small error : ” The locked box from our brains and makes the right decision …”
July 7th, 2009 at 5:56 am
My Cyber class mate Emiliano,
There is a variety of reasons why people humming( murmuring (making a low almost inaudible noise,with mouth left ajar( slightly open))).On one hand, some people hum , or murmuring a song because sometimes they find some songs appealing( attractive) to the extent at which those songs stuck in their mind and does not go away.So, They keep humming them. But,on the other hand, some people do it to let off steam.In the case of Jeff, my guess is : he does it simply because he has a passion for it.
Of course I may be wrong . But,it is my take( opinion) on the whole thing.
July 8th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Peter, that´s me exactly, as I sing so badly that always I am humming or murmuring the songs. One of the things I love more is music, all kinds of music, beside books and movies. So you can imagine how disappointed I am with my bad voice and my completely lack of musical intonation.
But I think I have a good musical ear and I think Jeff has possibilities as a singer. He is not Sinatra, Placido Domingo, Pavarotti or Nat King Cole (one of the best to me) but indeed he is good enough.
How is your work now, Peter?
I hope it is going on well.
I am very sorry about M.J. dead, as he is one of the biggest too.
Take care Peter, regards. emiliano
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:33 am
I want to talk about the sweetheart.
When I watch the famous TV series “24 season 1″,
Jack Bauer, who is the hero of this series, used to say his daughter as “sweetheart”.
After my wife gave birth to a baby girl in this May,
I realize why Jack Bauer call her as sweetheart.