I was surprised to read that this song actually predated the Revolutionary War, but it certainly is associated with it. It's so easy to fit lyrics to this tune, that I could not find the exact ones sung here. Variations must arise frequently.
Here are some of the lyrics:
Yankee Doodle went to town,
A-riding on a pony,
He stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni.
chorus
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 Goodin',
And there we see the men and boys
As thick as hasty puddin'.
chorus
And there was Gen'ral Washington,
Upon a slapping stallion,
A-giving orders to his men-
I guess there was a million.
chorus
A long war then was fought and won:
The British were defeated,
And Yankee Doodle was the march
To which their troops retreated.
chorus
What a great melody.
