# Star Spangled Banner/Barney song

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [January 7, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899 "2006-01-07T16:22:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Skooter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Skooter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skooter)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/1 "2006-01-07T16:22:34Z")

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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!

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/2 "2006-01-07T16:45:08Z")

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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](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_011.html)

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/3 "2006-01-07T19:01:15Z")

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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

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/4 "2006-01-07T19:02:58Z")

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Music to the songs in question can be found here:

[Barney Theme Song](http://www.encoremusic.com/piano/1702667_alt_ge.html)

Caution, these are pdfs:

[Yankee Doodle](http://www.pitt.edu/~deben/pYankeeD.pdf)

[This Old Man](http://www.pitt.edu/~deben/2Thisold.pdf)

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.

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/5 "2006-01-07T19:48:35Z")

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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**.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/6 "2006-01-07T21:32:01Z")

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> [@DSYoungEsq](#):
>
> 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. 🙂

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/7 "2006-01-07T21:40:17Z")

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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.

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/8 "2006-01-08T04:09:50Z")

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> [@AHunter3](#):
>
> 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. 😉

> [@Colibri](#):
>
> I must say I don’t find being less knowledgeable than you are about The Barney Show to be all that terribly embarrassing.

Touche! 😛

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/9 "2006-01-08T04:52:22Z")

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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::

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**Author:** ![Skooter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Skooter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skooter)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-spangled-banner-barney-song/338899/10 "2006-01-08T22:26:57Z")

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\*\*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](http://www.cfhf.net/lyrics/barney.htm)

\*\*Forget the eggs everyone make mistakes!!! \*\*

> [@AHunter3](#):
>
> 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