Songs tell us about our history and give us a new way of looking at our history. It's a way of remembering stories and enjoying ourselves. American music comes from all over, because when immigrants came, they brought their music with them. Music changed after it got to America because people had a new way of looking at things. Songs became a way of communicating ideas. Certain things influenced new songs such as faith and religion and the American feelings about freedom. These are just some of the songs of the Revolution.

Yankee Doodle was a song made by a British man named Richard Shuckburg to make fun of the Colonists. Unfortunately for him, the Americans loved the song and so they made the British dance to it by 1781. When the British man wrote "He stuck a feather in his hat and called it Macaroni" meant that Americans were stupid and thought that a feather was macaroni. Macaroni isn't that kind that we eat: it was a hair style in England. Doodle meant "a foolish person." Yankee was a nick-name for New Englanders. The original tune for Yankee Doodle was Lydia Fisher's Jig with these words: "Lucy Locket lost her pocket, Kitty Fisher found it; Nothing in it, nothing on it, But the binding 'round it."

The Liberty Song is a song about a tree or a pole which patriots met around to talk about important things happening around the colonies. To show support for the patriots, women wore a hat and under the hat they would have curled thirteen strands of their hair. They did that to represent the thirteen colonies. It was written by John Dickinson.

William Billings composed Chester, who was recognized as the first truly American composer. He was born October 7, 1746, in Boston. He wrote things called"tune books," to use in the New England singing-schools. He died September 26, 1800, in Boston.

American Taxation was written by Peter St. John who was school teacher. It was about the Stamp Act which he thought was "an unconstitutional attempt upon our liberties."

We don't know who wrote the Cornwallis Country Dance, but it's interesting and funny. It uses the tune of "Yankee Doodle."

Free Americay was written by Joseph Warren. It is sung to the tune of "The British Grenadiers." The Rebels were retreating from Breed's Hill when a bullet took the life of Dr. Joseph Warren.

The song Granny Wales shows that the British did not like the raising of the taxes in the colonies either. They did not like it because they thought they would lose their investments in the colonies.

Yankee Doodle

Father and I went down to camp,
Along with Captain Gooding;
And there we saw the men and boys,
As thick as hasty pudding.

Yankee doodle, keep it up,
Yankee doodle dandy;
Mind the musie and the step,
And with the girls be handy.

 There was Captain Washington
Upon a slapping stallion,
A-giving orders to his men,
I guess there was a million.

 And then the feathers on his hat,
They looked so' tarnal fin-a,
I wanted pockily to get
To give to my Jemima.

 And then we saw a swamping gun,
Large as a log of maple;
Upon a deuced little cart,
A load for father's cattle.

 And every time they shoot it off,
It takes a horn of powder;
It makes a noise like father's gun,
Only a nation louder.

 I went as nigh to one myself,
As' Siah's underpinning;
And father went as nigh agin,
I thought the deuce was in him.

 We saw a little barrel, too,
The heads were made of leather;
They knocked upon it with little clubs,
And called the folks together.

 And there they'd fife away like fun,
And play on cornstalk fiddles,
And some had ribbons red as blood,
All bound around their middles.

 The troopers, too, would gallop up
And fire right in our faces;
It scared me almost to death
To see them run such races.

 Uncle Sam came there to change
Some pancakes and some onions,
For' lasses cake to carry home
To give his wife and young ones.

 But I can't tell half I see
They kept up such a smother;
So I took my hat off, made a bow,
And scampered home to mother.

 Cousin Simon grew so bold,
I thought he would have cocked it;
It scared me so I streaked it off,
And hung by father's pocket.

 And there I saw a pumpkin shell,
As big as mother's basin;
And every time they touched it off,
They scampered like the nation.

Yankee doodle, keep it up,
Yankee doodle dandy;
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy

Liberty Song by John Dickinson
To the tune of "Hearts of Oak"

Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all!
And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call;
No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim,
Or stain with dishonor America's name.

 Chorus:

 In freedom we're born, and in freedom we'll live!
Our purses are ready,
Steady, friends, steady;
Not as slaves, but as free men, our money we'll give.

 How sweet are the labors that freemen endure,
That they shall enjoy all the profit, secure,
No more such sweet labors Americans know,
If Britons shall reap what Americans sow.

Then join hand in hand brave Americans all,
By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall;
In so righteous a cause let us hope to succeed,
For Heaven approves of each generous deed.

Chester by William Billings, about 1777

Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
And slav'ry clank her galling chains.
We fear them not; we trust in God,
New England's God forever reigns.

2. Howe and Burgoyne and Clinton, too,
With Prescott and Cornwallis joined,
Together plot our overthrow,
In one infernal league combined.

3. When God inspired us for the fight
Their ranks were broke; their lines were forced
Their ships were shattered in our sight
Or swiftly driven from our shore.

 4. The foe comes on with haughty stride,
Our troops advance with martial noise;
Their veterans flee before our youth,
And generals yield to beardless boys.

 5. What grateful off'ring shall we bring?
What shall we render to this Lord?
Loud Hallelujah let us sing,
And praise His Name on ev'ry chord!

American Taxation by Peter St. John
To the tune of "The British Grenadiers"

While I relate my story, Americans give ear;
Of Britain's fading glory, you presently shall hear.
I'll give a true relation, attend to what I say,
Concerning the taxation of North America.

The cruel lords of Britain, who glory in their shame,
The project they have hit on they joyfully proclaim;
Tis what they're striving after our rights to take away,
And rob us of our charter in North America.

 There are two mighty speakers who rule in Parliament,
Who ever have been seeking some mischief to invent;
'Twas North, and Bute his father, the horrid plan did lay,
A mighty tax to gather in North America.

These subtle arch-combiners addressed the British court,
All three were undersigners of this obscure report--
There is a pleasant landscape that lieth far away,
Beyond the wide Atlantic in North America.

O King, you've heard the sequel of what we now subscribe,
Is it not just and equal to tax this wealthy tribe?
The question being asked, his majesty did say,
My subjects shall be taxed in North America.

 Invested with a warrant, my publicans shall go,
The tenth of all their current they surely shall bestow;
If they indulge rebellion, or from my precepts stray,
I'll send my war battalion to North America.

 I'll rally all my fores by water and by land,
My light dragoons and horses shall go at my command;
I'll burn both town and city, with smoke becloud the day,
I'll show no human pity for North America.

 O George! you are distracted, you'll by experience find
The laws you have enacted are of the blackest kind.
I'll make a short digression, and tell you by the way,
We fear not your oppression in North America.

 Our fathers were distressed, while in their native land,
By tyrants were oppressed, as we do understand;
For freedom and religion they were resolved to stray,
And trace the desert regions of North America.

Cornwallis Country Dance (Anonymous)
To the tune of "Yankee Doodle"

 Cornwallis led a country dance,
The like was never seen, sir,
Much retrograde and much advance
And all with Gen'ral Greene, sir;
They rambled up and rambled down,
Joined hands and then they run, sir,
Our General Greene to Charlestown and
The Earl to Wilmington, sir.

Greene, in the South, then danced a set,
And got a mighty name, sir,
Cornwallis jigged with young Fayette,
But suffered in his fame, sir;
Quoth he, "My guards are weary grown
With footing country dances,
They never at St. James' shone
At capers, kicks, or prances.

And Washington, Columbia's son,
Whom easy nature taught, sir,
That grace which can't by pains be won
Nor Plutus' gold be bought, sir;
Now hand in hand they circle round,
This ever-dancing peer, sir,
Their gentle movements soon confound
the earl, as they draw near, sir.

His music soon forgets to play,
His feet can no more move, sir,
And all his bands now curse the day
They jigged to our shore, sir;
Now, Tories all, what can you say?
Come, is this not a griper:
That while your hopes you danced away,
'Tis you must pay the piper?

Free Americay

Joseph Warren

 To the tune of "The British Grenadiers"

That Seat of Science Athens, and Earth's great Mistress Rome,
Where now are all their Glories, we scarce can find their Tomb;
Then guard your Rights, Americans! nor stoop to lawless Sway,
Oppose, oppose, oppose, oppose, -- my brave America.

 Proud Albion bow'd to Caesar, and num'rous Lords before,
To Picts, to Danes, to Normans, and many Masters more;
But we can boast Americans! we never fell a Prey;
Huzza, huzza, huzza, huzza, for brave America.

We led fair Freedom hither, when lo the Desart smil'd,
A paradise of pleasure, was open'd in the Wild;
Your Harvest, bold Americans! no power shall snatch away,
Huzza, huzza, huzza, huzza, for brave America.

Torn from a World of Tyrants, beneath this western Sky,
We form'd a new Dominion, a Land of liberty;
The World shall own their masters here, then hasten on the Day,
Huzza, huzza, huzza, huzza, for brave America.

God bless this maiden Climate, and thro' her vast Domain,
Let Hosts of Heroes cluster, who scorn to wear a Chain;
And blast the venal Sycophant, who dares our Rights betray.
Preserve, preserve, preserve, preserve my brave America.

 Lift up your Heads my Heroes! and swear with proud Disdain,
The Wretch that would enslave you, Shall spread his Snares in vain;
Should Europe empty all her force, wou'd meet them in Array,
And shout, and shout, and shout, and shout, for brave America!

 Some future Day shall crown us, the Masters of the Main,
And giving Laws and Freedom, to subject France and Spain;
When all the Isles o'er Ocean spread shall tremble and obey,
Their Lords, their Lords, their Lords, their Lords of brave America.

Granny Wales

"As Granny arose in the morning so soon, she put on her petticoat, apron and gown,
'I've very bad news that last night came to me, They're wronging my children far over the sea.'

Then Granny Wales mounted her hosse in a rage, And straight up to London it was her next stage.
As she was a-riding up through London street, Twas there my Lord Grenville and Bute she did meet.

She said, 'Noble gentlemen, tell me the facts, Are you the ringleaders of this new tax?
To enslave my sons that's in a foreign land, You are the two villains, as I understand.'

'Oh no, my dear Granny, you're wrongly informed, To enslave America we don't intend.
But this land is our King's we do solemnly say, And we will make the laws for your sons to obey.'

'It's a lie, it's a lie!' said Old Granny in haste, For it's very well known form the east to the west.
That they ventured their lives at the price of their blood, But with taxes you cover their land like a flood.'"