Yankee Doodle — Nursery Rhyme Lyrics

Yankee Doodle came to town,
A-ridin' on a pony;
He stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni.
Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle Dandy;
Mind the music and the steps
And with the girls be handy.
Father and I went down to camp,
Along with Cap'n Goodwin;
The men and boys all stood around
As thick as hasty puddin'.
Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle Dandy;
Mind the music and the steps
And with the girls be handy.

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Learning from "Yankee Doodle"

Nursery rhymes are some of the best teachers of rhythm and rhyme. "Yankee Doodle" uses 16 lines to create a memorable verse — proof that effective poetry doesn't need to be long. Pay attention to the meter: the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables is what makes the rhyme stick in your head.

Songwriters and poets can borrow these patterns. Try writing your own lyrics using the same rhyme scheme and line length as this nursery rhyme. You can also use words from the poem above as starting points — click any word to find rhymes or look up its definition, then build from there.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the words to Yankee Doodle?
The lyrics to Yankee Doodle are: Yankee Doodle came to town, / A-ridin' on a pony; / He stuck a feather in his hat / And called it macaroni. / Yankee Doodle keep it up, / Yankee Doodle Dandy; ... Read the full 16-line nursery rhyme at Rhyme Buster.
How many lines does Yankee Doodle have?
"Yankee Doodle" has 16 lines of verse.

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