"Cotton-Eyed Joe" | |
---|---|
Song | |
Published | Before 1861 |
Genre | Country folk |
"Cotton-Eyed Joe" (also known as "Cotton-Eye Joe") is a traditional American country folk song popular at various times throughout the United States and Canada, although today it is most commonly associated with the American South. The song is mostly identified with the 1994 Rednex version, which became popular worldwide. The song is also an instrumental banjo and bluegrass fiddle standard.
"Cotton-Eyed Joe" has inspired both a partner dance and more than one line dance that is often danced at country dance venues in the United States and around the world. The 1980 film Urban Cowboy sparked a renewed interest in the dance. In 1985, the Moody Brothers' version of the song received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance. The Irish group the Chieftains received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Collaboration for their version of the song with lead vocals by Ricky Skaggs on their 1992 album Another Country .
The origins of this song are unclear, although it pre-dates the 1861–1865 American Civil War. [1] American folklorist Dorothy Scarborough (1878–1935) noted in her 1925 book On the Trail of Negro Folk-songs that several people remembered hearing the song before the war. Scarborough's account of the song came from her sister, Mrs. George Scarborough, who learned the song from "the Negroes on a plantation in Texas, and other parts from a man in Louisiana". The man in Louisiana knew the song from his earliest childhood and heard slaves singing it on plantations. [2] Both the dance and the song had many variants. [3]
The melody of the song may have originated in Ireland. Paddy Moloney of The Chieftains was on tour in Texas when he heard the song and immediately identified it as an old Irish folk melody, "The Mountain Top". [4]
A number of possible meanings of the term "cotton-eyed" have been proposed. The phrase may refer to: being drunk on moonshine, or having been blinded by drinking wood alcohol, turning the eyes milky white; a black person with very light blue eyes; miners covered in dirt with the exception of their white eyes; someone whose eyes were milky white from bacterial infections of trachoma or syphilis, cataracts or glaucoma; or the contrast of dark skin tone around white eyeballs in black people. [5]
American publishing house Harper and Brothers published the first printed version of the song in 1882. [6] It was heard by author Louise Clarke Pyrnelle (born 1850) on the Alabama plantation of her father when she was a child. [7] That 1882 version was republished as follows in 1910: [8]
Cotton-eyed Joe, Cotton-eyed Joe,
What did make you sarve me so,
Fur ter take my gal erway fum me,
An' cyar her plum ter Tennessee?
Ef it hadn't ben fur Cotton-eyed Joe,
I'd er been married long ergo.
His eyes wuz crossed, an' his nose wuz flat,
An' his teef wuz out, but wat uv dat?
Fur he wuz tall, an' he wuz slim,
An' so my gal she follered him.
Ef it hadn't ben fur Cotton-eyed Joe,
I'd er been married long ergo.
No gal so hansum could be foun',
Not in all dis country roun',
Wid her kinky head, an' her eyes so bright,
Wid her lips so red an' her teef so white.
Ef it hadn't ben fur Cotton-eyed Joe,
I'd been married long ergo.
An' I loved dat gal wid all my heart,
An' she swo' fum me she'd never part;
But den wid Joe she runned away,
An' lef' me hyear fur ter weep all day.
O Cotton-eyed Joe, O Cotton-eyed Joe,
What did make you sarve me so?
O Joe, ef it hadn't er ben fur you,
I'd er married dat gal fur true.
The lyrics of this version, in nondialectal standard American English are:
Cotton-eyed Joe, Cotton-eyed Joe,
What did make you serve me so,
For to take my gal away from me,
And carry her down to Tennessee?
If it hadn't been for Cotton-eyed Joe,
I'd have been married long ago.
His eyes were crossed, and his nose was flat,
And his teeth were out, but what was that?
For he was tall, and he was slim,
And so my gal she followed him.
If it hadn't been for Cotton-eyed Joe,
I'd have been married long ago.
No gal so handsome could be found,
Not in all this country round,
With her kinky head, and her eyes so bright,
With her lips so red and her teeth so white.
If it hadn't been for Cotton-eyed Joe,
I'd have been married long ago.
And I loved that gal with all my heart,
And she swore from me she'd never part;
But then with Joe she ran away,
And left me here for to weep all day.
O Cotton-eyed Joe, O Cotton-eyed Joe,
What did make you serve me so?
O Joe, if it hadn't been for you,
I'd have married that gal for true.
By 1884, the fiddle-based song was referred to as "an old, familiar air". [9] In 1925, another version was recorded by folklorist Dorothy Scarborough and published. [10]
Don't you remember, don't you know,
Don't you remember Cotton-eyed Joe?
Cotton-eyed Joe, Cotton-eyed Joe,
What did make you treat me so?
I'd 'a' been married forty year ago
Ef it had n't a-been for Cotton-eyed Joe!
Cotton-eyed Joe, Cotton-eyed Joe,
He was de nig dat sarved me so, –
Tuck my gal away fum me,
Carried her off to Tennessee.
I'd 'a' been married forty year ago
If it had n't a-been for Cotton-eyed Joe.
Hi's teeth was out an' his nose was flat,
His eyes was crossed, – but she did n't mind dat.
Kase he was tall, and berry slim,
An' so my gal she follered him.
I'd 'a' been married forty year ago
Ef it had n't a-been for Cotton-eyed Joe.
She was de prettiest gal to be found
Anywhar in de country round;
Her lips was red an' her eyes was bright,
Her skin was black but her teeth was white.
I'd 'a' been married forty year ago
Ef it had n't a-been for Cotton-eyed Joe.
Dat gal, she sho' had all my love,
An swore fum ne she'd never move,
But Joe hoodooed her, don't you see,
An' she run off wid him to Tennessee,
I'd 'a' been married forty years ago,
Ef it hadn't a-been for Cotton-eyed Joe.
Scarborough noted that the song seemed to be well known in the South prior to the Civil War, and parts of it had been sent in by various persons. [10]
Over the years, many different versions of the song have been performed and/or recorded with many different versions of the lyrics (and many without lyrics). "Cotton-Eyed Joe", on occasion referred to as "The South Texas National Anthem", was played for minstrel-type jigs, and it has long been popular as a square dance hoedown and a couple dance polka. [11]
A resident of Central Texas who learned the dance in Williamson County in the early 1880s described it as nothing but a heel and toe "poker" with fringes added. These fringes added to the heel and toe polka were clog steps which required skill and extraversion on the part of the dancer. [12]
During the first half of the 20th century, the song was a widely known folk song all over English-speaking North America. One discography lists 134 recorded versions released since 1950. [13] In more recent decades, the song has waned in popularity in most regions except some parts of the American South, where it is still a popular folk song.[ citation needed ]
Bob Wills and Adolph Hofner and his San Antonians both recorded the song, and according to music historian Bill C. Malone, Hofner's 1941 version was the one that did the most to popularize the song. [14] A 1967 instrumental version of the song by Al Dean inspired a new round dance polka for couples. [11]
The dance remained popular in Texas in the 1970s. [15] A circle dance called "Cotton-Eyed Joe" can be found in the 1975 edition of Encyclopedia of Social Dance. The men stand on the inside of a circle facing out, and the women stand on the outside facing in; both circles follow a sequence of kick steps and struts. [16]
The spoke line version gained popularity, not only in Texas but also across the United States and overseas[ clarification needed ] in the 1980s. [11] A Western "craze" followed the 1980 release of the film Urban Cowboy .[ citation needed ] In Merle Haggard's "Texas Fiddle Song" (1981), the final verse makes reference to the "Cotton-Eyed Joe" and features the melody of both the Bob Wills and Al Dean versions.[ citation needed ] "Cotton-Eyed Joe" and its continued popularity in Texas were referred to in the lyrics to Alabama's 1984 song "If You're Gonna Play in Texas". [17]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(June 2024) |
In August 1994, the Swedish Eurodance group Rednex covered the song as "Cotton Eye Joe" for their album Sex & Violins , combining their style with traditional American instruments, such as banjos [18] and fiddles. In 2002, "Cotton Eye Joe" was remixed in a dance version and was released from Rednex's greatest hits album, The Best of the West . The Rednex cover made an appearance on the sitcom New Girl in 2013 in the season 2 finale, "Elaine's Big Day." [19]
There is a Crazy Frog cover of the song, based on the Rednex version on the Best Of Crazy Hits compilation album.
The Country and Irish singer Lee Matthews released his version of the song with new added lyrics. The single on his own independent label topped the Irish Country Singles Download Chart in January 2015.[ citation needed ]
Virtual band Gummibär also covered the song in their album La La Love to Dance .
In January 2024, a cover of the song was posted on TikTok, misinterpreting the lyrics as "Gegagedigedagedago", which has recently become a popular internet meme. The cover would then be put in multiple posts on the platform with various objects such as a chicken nugget singing with speech bubbles containing the lyrics, usually with the "Man" face from Roblox on the objects. Newer posts with the cover would show said objects with faces animated. [20]
"Jump Jim Crow", often shortened to just "Jim Crow", is a song and dance from 1828 that was done in blackface by white minstrel performer Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice. The song is speculated to have been taken from Jim Crow, a physically disabled enslaved African-American, who is variously claimed to have lived in St. Louis, Cincinnati, or Pittsburgh. The song became a 19th-century hit and Rice performed it all over the United States as "Daddy Pops Jim Crow".
"Scarborough Fair" is a traditional English ballad. The song lists a number of impossible tasks given to a former lover who lives in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The "Scarborough/Whittingham Fair" variant was most common in Yorkshire and Northumbria, where it was sung to various melodies, often using Dorian mode, with refrains resembling "parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme" and "Then she'll be a true love of mine." It appears in Traditional Tunes by Frank Kidson published in 1891, who claims to have collected it from Whitby.
Rednex is a Swedish musical group whose style is a mix of American country music and modern Eurodance, with their appearance and stage names taking inspiration from the American redneck stereotypes. The band originally consisted of the lead singer Mary Joe, alongside Bobby Sue, Ken Tacky, Billy Ray and Mup. Pat Reiniz also served as the band's producer. The band has gone through multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with none of the members having an uninterrupted tenure.
"Jimmy Crack Corn" or "Blue-Tail Fly" is an American song, a mock-elegy or pseudo-lament, which first became popular during the rise of blackface minstrelsy in the 1840s through performances by the Virginia Minstrels. It regained currency as a folk song in the 1940s at the beginning of the American folk music revival and has since become a popular children's song. Over the years, several variants have appeared.
"Corrine, Corrina" is a 12-bar country blues song in the AAB form. "Corrine, Corrina" was first recorded by Bo Carter. However, it was not copyrighted until 1932 by Bo Carter, along with his publishers Mitchell Parish and J. Mayo Williams.
In the folk tradition, there are many traditional blues verses that have been sung over and over by many artists. Blues singers, who include many country and folk artists as well as those commonly identified with blues singers, use these traditional lyrics to fill out their blues performances. Artists like Jimmie Rodgers, the "blue yodeler", and Big Joe Turner, "the Boss of the Blues" compiled virtual encyclopedias of lyrics. Turner reputedly could sing the blues for hours without repeating himself.
The Smurfs Go Pop! is an album of songs by The Smurfs, released in 1996. Most of the songs are cover versions of existing songs with altered lyrics.
The Best of the West is the title of the first compilation album released by Swedish dance group Rednex compiling almost all previously released Rednex singles, except the promotional single "Riding Alone". The album is the second and final release through Jive Records.
"Fe Fi (The Old Man Died)", or simply "Fe Fi", is a country song by the Swedish band Rednex. It has been released in November 2006 through Pyjama Records as the second single of their independently released third studio album The Cotton Eye Joe Show.
"Football Is Our Religion" is a country-dance song by the Swedish band Rednex, released in 2008 via Universal Records, as the fifth single of their independently released third studio album The Cotton Eye Joe Show. The song serves as the unofficial song to UEFA Euro 2008 which took place in Austria and Switzerland in June of that year.
"Looking for a Star" is a country-dance song by the Swedish band Rednex, released in 2007 via MMS Records, as the fourth single of their independently released third studio album The Cotton Eye Joe Show.
"Anyway You Want Me" is a country-dance song by the Swedish band Rednex, released on March 7, 2007 via Universal Records, as the third single of their independently released third studio album The Cotton Eye Joe Show.
Battery Records was an American record label that served as the dance sublabel of Jive Records, and was active for a short time during the mid-1990s. The label was mostly known for releasing music by the Swedish Eurodance group Rednex in North America, namely its novelty hit "Cotton Eye Joe", as well as Insane Clown Posse's third studio album, Riddle Box. The Battery Records name was later revived by Sony Music Entertainment in 2008 with a focus on hip hop music.
"Pick a Bale of Cotton" is a traditional American folk song and work song first recorded by Texas inmates James "Iron Head" Baker (1933) and Mose "Clear Rock" Platt (1939) and later popularized by Lead Belly. Johnny Cash, as well as others, have released adaptations of the song.
Anders Lundström is a Swedish songwriter and record producer. He is also a country recording artist who has released in January 2013 an album Stay True with the stage name MAV. At various times earlier in his career he was also known as A.L. Sweet, Lucka and during his Rednex days (2006–2008) as Maverick.
"Cotton Eye Joe" is a song by Swedish Eurodance group Rednex, released in August 1994 by Jive and Zomba as the first single from their debut studio album, Sex & Violins (1995). Based on the traditional American folk song "Cotton-Eyed Joe", it combines the group's style with traditional American instruments such as banjos and fiddles. The song was written by Janne Ericsson, Örjan Öban Öberg and Pat Reiniz, and produced by Reiniz. The vocal verses are performed by Annika Ljungberg, while the "Cotton Eye Joe" chorus is sung by Göran Danielsson, who never appears in the music video for the song, directed by Stefan Berg. It was a number one hit in at least eleven countries, and reached numbers 25 and 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. In 2002, "Cotton Eye Joe" was remixed in a new dance version, and was released on Rednex's first greatest hits album, The Best of the West (2002).
Inbred with Rednex, sometimes misread as "In Bred with Rednex", is the first EP by Swedish dance group Rednex. The album was recorded and released in Germany in 1995 through BMG Interactive.
"Mama, Take Me Home", sometimes "Mama Take Me Home", is a song by Swedish dance group Rednex. It has been released in 2006 through M&L Records as the first single of their independently released third studio album The Cotton Eye Joe Show. The song marks the first release with Annika Ljungberg, who rejoined the band.
The Cotton Eye Joe Show is the third studio album by Swedish dance group Rednex. It has been independently released in 2009 in the Netherlands via Lek Records. It marks the second release to feature original lead singer Annika Ljungberg, who rejoined Rednex and replaced the previous female vocalist Julie-Anne Tulley, when she departed from the group. On January 1, 2009, however Ljungberg again left the band after the release due to the ending of Ljungberg's management licence, when control of the Rednex brand returned to the band's founders.
The discography of Rednex, a Swedish dance group, consists of three studio albums, two compilation albums, one extended plays, 18 singles, including one as featured artist, 9 promotional singles, and 17 music videos, including one as featured artist. The first Rednex release was the debut studio album Sex & Violins in 1995, preceded by the massive chart hits "Cotton Eye Joe", a cover version, and "Old Pop in an Oak", both released in 1994. This success was followed with the sophomore release Farm Out in 2000, including the hit single "The Spirit of the Hawk". The album Best of the West, their first compilation album, followed in 2002. In 2012, a studio album titled Saturday Night Beaver was planned, but remains shelved.
He said he had known it from his earliest childhood and had heard the slaves sing it on the plantations.
The stories, plantation games, and Hymns are just as I heard them in my childhood
Cotton eyed Joe.
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