A 4th of July (United States Independence Day) favorite, "The Yankee Doodle Boy" is also a significant piece of American musical theatre history.
The song premiered on Broadway in 1904 as part of Cohan's musical "Little Johnny Jones" (the indefatigable Cohan was composer, lyricist, book writer, producer, director, and star). Cohan wrote contemporary musicals with American characters and themes that eschewed European operetta tropes; he particularly enjoyed flag-waving patriotism (when asked if he could write a play without a flag, Cohan retorted, "I can write a play without anything but a pencil."). Though Cohan's lyrics can seem naive to modern audiences, they were surprisingly contemporary when new, and they appealed to Americans' growing sense that they had their own popular culture, music, and theater distinct from Europe. Cohan himself was born to an Irish-American family and grew up performing in vaudeville with his parents and sister as one of "The Four Cohans."
In "Little Johnny Jones," Cohan stars as American jockey Johnny Jones who goes to London to race in a horse race. In the musical, and indeed, in "The Yankee Doodle Boy," he asserts his self-confidence as an American even in the face of the British aristocratic elite. The song's repeated mentions of ponies refer to both the traditional American song "Yankee Doodle" and Johnny's profession as a jockey. Johnny runs into trouble when he loses the race and is accused of deliberately throwing it. Fortunately, evidence of his innocence emerges by the final curtain. Many may recall the film "Yankee Doodle Dandy," in which Jimmy Cagney memorably starred as George M. Cohan and recreated many of his hits, including "The Yankee Doodle Boy" and the scene of Johnny's final vindication in "Little Johnny Jones."
I'm the kid that's all the candy,
I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy,
I'm glad I am,
So's Uncle Sam.
I'm a real live Yankee Doodle,
Made my name and fame and boodle,
Just like Mister Doodle did, by riding on a pony.
I love to listen to the Dixie strain,
I long to see the girl I left behind me;
That ain't a josh,
She's a Yankee, by gosh.
Oh, say can you see,
Anything about a Yankee that's a phony?
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.
Father's name was Hezikiah,
Mother's name was Ann Maria,
Yanks through and through.
Red, White and Blue
Father was so Yankee-hearted,
When the Spanish war was started,
He slipped on a uniform and hopped upon a pony.
My mother's mother was a Yankee true,
My father's father was a Yankee too:
That's going some,
For the Yankees, by gum.
Oh, say can you see
Anything about my pedigree that's phony?