The term “Doodle” shows up in the English language in the early 17th century. Today, the song’s tune is shared with others like “Jack and Jill.” It also reportedly inspired the theme song used for the children’s television show, Barney & the Backyard Gang and Barney & Friends. The song is attributed to Richard Shuckburgh, who likely wrote it in America at Fort Crailo around 1755. That song contained mostly gibberish lines like “Yanker, didel, doodle down, Diddle, dudel, lanther, Yanke viver, voover vown, Botermilk und tanther.” Apparently, farmhands in Holland were paid “as much buttermilk as they could drink, and a tenth of the grain.”

In fact, the melody may date back to an old Irish song, “ All the Way to Galway,” in which the second strain is identical to “Yankee Doodle.”įurthermore, the earliest lyrics of the song come from a Middle Dutch harvest song, which also follows the same tune and likely dates back as far as the 15th century in Holland. The melody perhaps even goes back to folk songs of Medieval Europe. And many scholars believe the tune of the song is even older than the nursery rhyme, itself. Ever since its writing, the song has been sung as a patriotic anthem. “Yankee Doodle” predates the American Revolution (1775-1783) and the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).

But what does it all mean? To find out, dear reader, let’s dive in and investigate the history and meaning of the famous nursery rhyme, “Yankee Doodle.” Origins

The meaning of doodle