In fact, the melody may date back to an old Irish song, “All the Way to Galway,” in which the second strain is identical to “Yankee Doodle.” Furthermore, the earliest lyrics of the song ...

But Evans found an obscure, yet noteworthy waltz, slowed the tempo and created some new lyrics. Voila — a love song. Needless to say, “Yankee Doodle” is filled with references and snippets ...

"Yankee Doodle came to town ... This song might have gotten you into a fight — if you sang it with the original lyrics. "You're a Grand Old Flag" was first published and performed in 1906 ...

But “Yankee Doodle” didn’t die with the war. With new lyrics, it became a political campaign favorite. In 1800, it was the “American Spirit,” then there were versions called “Harrison ...

Yankee Doodle, keep it up/ Yankee Doodle Dandy Mind ... the Revolutionary War period with the colonists creating their own lyrics, many verses about an impressive General George Washington.

The line--there are many, many versions of "Yankee Doodle." It's a very interesting early example of Britain and America singing the same tune, not necessarily with the same words.