![]() ![]() While many folk songs eventually subside in popularity to make way for new music, the opposite happened with “Cotton Eye Joe.” The song saw a massive resurgence in popularity when a group of Swedish producers called Rednex released their cover on August 12, 1994. Al Dean’s 1967 instrumental recording of “Cotton Eye Joe” even inspired a polka dance. Line and circle dances with stepping, strutting and kicking matched the fast-paced nature of the song. Several musicians released their own renditions of the song, and people created new dances to go with them. “Cotton Eye Joe” was a widely known folk song by the rise of recorded music in the early 20th century. Where did you come from, Cotton-Eye Joe? Where Did It Go? Where did you come from, where did you go? No true definition has ever been confirmed. Another theory is that Cotton Eye Joe had a disease that turned his eyes milky white, or replaced his eyeball with a cotton ball due to lack of medical equipment. Others think that it refers to the contrast between dark skin and white eyeballs. Some believe that it means to be drunk on moonshine. There is much debate as to what “cotton eye” actually refers to. It was typically played on banjo or fiddle, and several variations of dances were created as it spread more widely. “Cotton Eye Joe” circulated through the southern states, especially amongst slaves, as a song to sing and dance along to. The song pre-dates the Civil War and was likely written between 18. ![]() Like many traditional folk songs, the first person to write and play “Cotton Eye Joe” is a mystery. ![]()
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