Besides flying your Stars & Stripes, celebrate Flag Day with ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’ on Turner Classic Movies tonight

In honor of Flag Day, Turner Classic Movies is showing “Yankee Doodle Dandy” tonight at 7 p.m. If you’ve never seen James Cagney’s stunning performance in the 1942 film (he won the Oscar for Best Actor) I highly recommend it. Cagney’s dancing is amazing … and worth your time alone.

Meanwhile, here are the lyrics from “You’re A Grand Old Flag” which you’ll hear if you watch tonight.

Happy Flag Day and God Bless America!

(And excuse the Yankee references! Cohan does honor the South in the song too.)

There’s a feeling comes a-stealing
And it sets my brain a-reeling
When I’m list’ning to the music of a military band
Any tune like “Yankee Doodle”
Simply sets me off my noodle
It’s that patriotic something
That no one can understand
“Way down South in the land of cotton”
Melody untiring
Ain’t that inspiring!
Hurrah! Hurrah! We’ll join the jubilee
And that’s going some
For the Yankees, by gum!
Red, white and blue
I am for you
Honest, you’re a grand old flag

You’re a grand old flag
You’re a high-flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave
You’re the emblem of
The land I love
The home of the free and the brave
Ev’ry heart beats true
Under red, white and blue
Where there’s never a boast or brag
But should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the grand old flag

I’m a cranky hanky panky
I’m a dead square honest Yankee
And I’m mighty proud of that old flag
That flies for Uncle Sam
Though I don’t believe in raving
Ev’ry time I see it waving
There’s a chill runs up my back
That makes me glad I’m what I am
Here’s a land with a million soldiers
That’s if we should need ’em
We’ll fight for freedom!
Hurrah! Hurrah! For ev’ry Yankee tar
And old G.A.R.
Ev’ry stripe, ev’ry star
Red, white and blue
Hats off to you
Honest, you’re a grand old flag

You’re a grand old flag
You’re a high-flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave
You’re the emblem of
The land I love
The home of the free and the brave
Ev’ry heart beats true
Under red, white and blue
Where there’s never a boast or brag
But should old acquaintance be forgot
Keep your eye on the grand old flag

Songwriters: Paul J. Frederick / Valerie Peterson / George M Cohan


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