“Yankee Doodle”

YANKEE DOODLE."

"Yankee Doodle," called our national air, is a musical vaga- bond, a literary Bohemian. The words are older than our Revolu- tion, for they date back to the time of Charles the Second. It

was also a satire on Cromwell. It cannot be called a national song, although national property, and it is not a treasure of high value. It now exists only as instrumental. It has not a national charac- ter and must be silent when serious purposes are desired, and men's hearts are moved to high effort and great sacrifice, but as a quick- step it is always inspiriting. Whence its' name or how it originated is not clearly known. Tradition affirms that with slight variations known from time immemorial in Spain, Italy, France, it has been

Hungary and Germany. It was introduced into America in 1755

by Dr. Schuckburgh, of Albany, N. Y. When the British advanced in triumph on Lexington and Concord, their band played "God Save the King." On their disastrous retreat the Americans played "Yankee Doodle."