What is it about The Yankee Doodle Boy, that puts a smile on one’s face and sets toes a-tapping’? It’s the verve and variety inherent in a great tunesmith’s song that gets pianos playing and people singing.

Written by George Michael Cohan, “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” was ‘Broadway Composer Cohan’ at his best. Today, the wit of the lyrics and the song’s tempo and temperament continue to elicit applause in theaters nationwide.

George Cohan was born at Providence, Rhode Island in 1878. He started out in show business in Vaudeville, traveling with his performing father, mother, and sister. Vaudeville is where Cohan learned the nuances of live performing and keeping audiences entertained. He was part of The Four Cohans, the name his family used as their marquee title.

Eventually Cohan made it to Tin Pan Alley as a songwriter, and Broadway as a prolific creator of musicals. “The Man Who Owned Broadway” became a catch phrase for this talented composer during his heyday in New York City. Another name bestowed on him was “The Father of American Musical Comedy”. He wrote his own play scripts, music, and lyrics.

The song The Yankee Doodle Boy is from the musical comedy Little Johnny Jones. This was Cohan’s first full-length musical, and his family performed in the original production.

Though not an initial success on Broadway, the musical eventually achieved acclaim after some reworking. The song is a lively number with flair. The song line “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy” is sung with unabashed patriotism. The song includes the proudly American chorus:

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

The wit in the lyrics of the song was also manifest in the play itself as seen in the tongue-in-cheek name of a girl from San Francisco, Goldie Gates. Cohan’s sense of humor came through in his storyline, music, and verse.

The musical opened on Broadway in New York City at the Liberty Theater, on November 7, 1904. It’s the story of a jockey, Johnny Jones, who rides a horse called Yankee Doodle in the English Derby. Cohan based the character of Johnny on Hall of Fame jockey Todd Sloan (1874-1933). Other popular songs to come out of the musical were ‘Give My Regards to Broadway’ and ‘Life’s a Funny Proposition’.

Eventually a film biography was developed about George Cohan. Called Yankee Doodle Dandy, this film starred James Cagney as Cohan. Joan Leslie and Walter Huston also had roles in this film. It celebrated the accomplishments of Cohan and his rise to fame.

He wore many hats during his career as a producer, composer, actor, writer, singer, and director. His sheer output as a songwriter was phenomenal. He had over 1,500 of his songs published, and he developed the art of melding drama with music.

Cohan livened up American theater with his tunes and plays, as the art form was heading into a stagnant time. He breathed fresh life into Broadway with his fresh, catchy, lyrics and music. Cohan, who achieved the American dream through sheer talent and hard work, was himself a true Yankee Doodle Dandy.