Cotton Eye Joe

Rednex: Cotton Eye Joe Dance

Just realized I haven’t posted this yet:

Rednex Cotton Eyed Joe

The original cotton eyed joe  video from Rednex. Little did they know what a world wide phenomenon this would become, taking American country line dancing around the globe.

Most people have been exposed to the term cotton eyed joe through this video. For most Americans this song and the Cotton Eye Joe Dance is just this song and that dance.

While the Cotton Eye Joe Dance is very well known,most of those dancing are not aware of the rich history of the song and the phrase.

Cotton Eyed Joe

So what does it mean? we know the song itself originated before the Civil War but the true meaning of the phrase seems to be disputed.

Some think the terms simply refers to an individual who was “cotton eyed”. Others think that the man lost his wife when she became “cotton eyed”.

The latter makes sense when you consider one of the meanings has been a whitening of eyes from syphilis. Another is blindness from drinking wood alcohol.

Like many folksy phrases, I believe the truth is lost to time.

Cotton Eye Joe Dance

The dance is a different story. We know the current popularity of the dance stems from the movie “Urban Cowboy” and was taken to new heights when Rednex released their song.

The dance has changed as much as the song it is done to. Originally Cotton Eyed Joe was a polka, then a spoke wheeled polka that later separated into a line dance.

The line dance version of the Cotton Eye Joe Dance is no doubt the most popular as it is now worldwide and, in my humble opinion, has permanently usurped any of the originals.

No matter what the history, we know that the current version is very easy to do and it’s just plain a lot of fun.

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Cotton Eye Joe Lyrics -Rednex

Lyrics to the Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex. The version that most people do the Cotton Eye Joe Dance to.

If it hadn’t been for Cotton-Eye Joe
I’d been married long time ago
Where did you come from where did you go
Where did you come from Cotton-Eye Joe

Repeats

He came to town like a midwinter storm
He rode through the fields so hansome and strong
His eyes was his tools and his smile was his gun
But all he had come for was having some fun

If it hadn’t been for Cotton-Eye Joe
I’d been married long time ago
Where did you come from where did you go
Where did you come from Cotton-Eye Joe

Repeats

He brought a disaster wherever he went
The hearts of the girls were to hell, broken sent.
They all ran away so nobody would know
and left only men ’cause of Cotton-Eye Joe

If it hadn’t been for Cotton-Eye Joe
I’d been married long time ago
Where did you come from where did you go
Where did you come from Cotton-Eye Joe
Repeats

Cotton Eye Joe

The song we now do the Cotton Eye Joe dance to was actually recorded by a Swedish group known as Rednex. Previously there have benn more than a hundred recorded versions of the song.

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