In your article about the Star Spangled Banner being sung to an old drinking song,you mentioned that many songs recycled old tunes…like the Barney song being sung to This Old Man…well unless they have changed it the last time I heard it…it isn’t This Old Man …it is Yankee doodle 
!!
Toodles!
Welcome to the SDMB, Skooter.
When you comment on one of Cecil’s online columns, it is appreciated if you could provide a link to the same. Doing so can be as simple as pasting the URL into your post, making sure to leave a blank space on either side of it. Like so: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_011.html
I never thought I’d be chiming in on the weighty subject of The Barney Song, but it’s definitely a rip-off from This Old Man, not Yankee Doodle:
This old man, he played one
{I love you, you love me} <—— same tune & rhythm, G, E, G…G, E, G in C major
He played knick-knack on his thumb
{We’re a happy family} <—— same tune & rhythm, A, G, F, E, D, E F in C major
vs
This old man, he played one
{Yankee Doodle keep it up} <—— different tune A…B,A, G, A, B C in C major
He played knick-knack on his thumb
{Yankee Doodle Dandy} <—— different tune G…A,G, F, E…G in C major
vs (even worse match)
This old man, he played one
{There was Captain Washington} <—— wrong rhythm as well as wrong tune
He played knick-knack on his thumb
{Upon a slapping stallion} <—— wrong rhythm as well as wrong tune
Music to the songs in question can be found here:
Caution, these are pdfs:
I will leave it for those with more musical expertise than I have to evaluate their similarities or differences. However, Yankee Doodle does not seem to me to match very well.
Obviously, you don’t watch the show, guys. Skooter is right, while being wrong.
There is more than one song in question.
“Cecil Adams” was referring to the song sung at the end of the show, “I love you, you love me.” This is sung to the tune of “This Old Man.”
But the song played during the opening (and, I believe, the closing credits) of the show is, indeed, Yankee Doodle. This is called the Barney Theme Song, with the following lyrics:
Barney is a dinosaur from our imagination
When he’s tall he’s what we call
A dinosaur sensation
Barney teaches lots of things
Like how to play pretend
A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s
And how to be a friend
Barney comes to play with us
Whenever we may need him
Barney can be your friend too
If you just make believe him
You can see the fit.
You may wish to wipe the egg back off your faces, AHunter3 and Colibri.
I must say I don’t find being less knowledgeable than you are about The Barney Show to be all that terribly embarrassing.
The only Barney song that had ever intruded into my consciousness was that damn “I luv you, you luv me” thing. It’s entirely reasonble to call that “The Barney Song”. The one you identify as “The Barney Theme Song” is less universally recognized, I betcha.
Eggless face, no wipe.
This would be fine if it wasn’t for the fact that the name of the song in question is “I Love You.” Legions of Barney lovers also are quite familiar with the Barney Theme Song, at least as much as the I Love You song. Calling the Original Poster “wrong” for asserting what he did was itself incorrect, and showed a lack of both subject knowledge and a failure to research before sticking your neck out.
Egg, double order, over hard. 
Touche! 
Begging your pardon, but when addressing the multitudes of people whose familiarity with Barney the Dinosaur is as limited as they can possibly make it, which wording do you think would most dependably elicit the bringing to mind of that horrid “I love you, you love me” song?
“Hey, I’ve got a great idea for additional torture at Guantanamo. Suppose we play that song 'I love you” to the prisoners?"
“Hey, I’ve got a great idea for additional torture at Guantanamo. Suppose we play ‘The Barney Song’ to the prisoners”?
::sends all eggs back to the kitchen with a stern note to the breakfast chef::
**Actually you are right, yet…so am I.
I had completely forgotton about the “I love you ,you love me…” Barney closing song. Yes that does go with the tune of This Old Man. I was thinking of the song that is played at the beginning of the program:
OPENING LYRICS
Barney is a dinosaur from our imagination
When he’s tall he’s what we call A dinosaur sensation
Barney teaches lots of things
Like how to play pretend
A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s and how to be a friend
Barney comes to play with us. Whenever we may need him.
Barney can be your friend too. If you just make believe him.
CLOSING LYRICS
I love you, you love me
We’re a great big family.
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you
Won’t you say you love me to!**
Thank you for your feedback. And for the fun of it …a link to the TV theme sogs lyrics page.http://www.cfhf.net/lyrics/barney.htm
**Forget the eggs everyone make mistakes!!! **