The Internet Adventures of Paul Bobby Constant

A-Drinkin’ and A-Votin’

Yesterday, we saw that Martin Van Buren really didn’t have a good campaign song. Instead, his song ham-handedly called anyone who’d vote against him a drunk. His opponent, William Henry Harrison understood the value of a good campaign song. He had two classics of the form, the first of which we’ll talk about today.

“The Harrison Yankee Doodle” is notable for two reasons. First: It riffs on “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” one of the most popular American songs of all time. And second:

With Harrison, our country’s won
No treachery can divide her
Thy will be done with Harrison, Log Cabin, and Hard Cider.

Taking cues from the campaign, the song openly endorses drinking. Seems in some ways, Harrison was a prototypical Teabagger, running on old fashioned American values like log cabins and drinking hard cider. (This is why Van Buren’s song tried to appeal to the temperance freaks, but it inarguably could have handled the drinking bit in a classier way.) Who doesn’t love singing a catchy little ditty about booze? I’m surprised Shane MacGowen hasn’t covered “Harrison Yankee Doodle” at some point in his career. This isn’t Harrison’s main campaign song, but it’s a good one, setting the stage for a candidate who can bring the good times back.

Lyrics: 9
Enthusiasm: 9 
Infectiousness: 9
Total Score: 9

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