Yankee Doodle: The Song
The tune we know as Yankee Doodle is a very old one that became popular as an accompaniment to the
children's nursery rhyme, "Lucy Locket lost her pocket". The lyrics, however, were changed and then
changed again and then expanded upon. As Oliver Cromwell rose to power in England in the 1600's, new
lyrics were maliciously invented for the tune.
Oliver Cromwell went to town;
a-riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his hat
and called it macaroni
The term macaroni refers to the flamboyant manner of dress that had become popular among English
and European aristocrats. The lyrics imply that, although Cromwell may have aspired to greater heights,
he just didn't quite make it. Just like sticking a feather in his hat does not make him a Macaroni! The
new lyrics stuck and it became a popular marching tune that lasted until the next century.
During the French and Indian War, American troops often aided the British soldiers. Legend has it that
when Connecticut Col. Thomas Fitch rode into a British camp with his recruits, the British officers found
it amusing that each soldier was dressed and armed differently. Dr. Richard Schuckburg, a British Army
surgeon, changed the opening words of the old marching song to make fun of the recruits. He presented
it to Col. Fitch as a joke. "Yankee doodle went to town"
A doodle was defined as a simple person often seen as coming from rural areas or farms, a country
bumpkin of sorts. The British prided themselves on their sense of style and their spit and polish
uniforms. In contrast to this, the colonials were a motley crew, wearing whatever they had in their
wardrobe.
Twenty years later, during the Revolutionary War, the British were still singing Dr. Schuckburg's lyrics to
ridicule the Americans. The song had grown and expanded with the years and there were many more
verses, some say up to 190 of them. One of the verses is believed to be about Billerica patriot, Thomas
Ditson:
Yankee Doodle went to town
For to buy a firelock
We will tar and feather him
And so we will John Hancock.
Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni
The joke backfired when the Americans began using the song to rally their own troops. They played the
song with pride and used it for inspiration. The story even goes that as Lord Cornwallis surrendered his
army at Yorktown, ending the Revolutionary War, the American fifers were playing Yankee Doodle. Our
patriots had the last laugh.
Today, Yankee Doodle is the state song of Connecticut and people there claim that Col. Thomas Fitch,
who later became Connecticut Governor Fitch, is the original Yankee Doodle. However, we here in
Billerica, take great pride in knowing that Thomas Ditson is the true Yankee Doodle. And it is with great
joy that the people of Billerica celebrate being America's Yankee Doodle Town. It was the strength and
unity of patriots like Thomas Ditson that made America the great independent nation that it is and it is
this that we celebrate with parades, fireworks, fun and camaraderie on homecoming weekend every
September.
- Kathy Meagher
09/26/2006