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Index/Topics/African American Folk Music

African American Folk Music

The song "Cotton-Eyed Joe" has roots in African American and Southern folk contexts, with collectors and performers reporting versions sung on plantations or in Black communities.

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Jan 26, 2026
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What are the earliest printed versions of 'Cotton-Eyed Joe' and what do their lyrics show?

The earliest known printed appearance of "" is a dialect transcription published by in 1882, a version that was later reprinted in 1910 and survives in many folklorists' collections . Those earliest p...