Cotton-Eye Joe

Warming Up

8074/21005

Back up to the Stocean first thing for another Stone Clear which asked the question, what is the first line to Cotton-Eyed Joe by Red Nex?

Even though the whole song is basically the same quatrain repeated over and over again, I've never been able to work out what the first line is and never been curious enough to Google it.

I thought it was something like "Put out the bins for Cotton-Eye Joe, I've been married long time ago, where did he come from, where did he go? Where did you come from, Cotton-Eye Joe?"

If I had three questions about this my first question would be "Why is he called Cotton-Eye Joe?" or at least that would be one of my first three questions. Where he came from - not sure I'm that bothered. Where did he go? Bit more intrigued about that one. I certainly wouldn't bother repeating the "Where did you come from?" question. I'd ask a third question, like "And why is your name Cotton-Eye Joe?"

Because how are eyes like cotton? Are they soft? Does he have doll eyes stitched into his face? Did he steal the eyes of Dot Cotton and have them transplanted into this face. All good questions for the remaining one million verses. But Red Nex choose to simply repeat the two questions they have, repeating the least important one, whilst never enunciating the first line. Unless they are saying "Why are you called (for) Cotton Eyed Joe?"

I did the podcast and forgot to Google it again and actually forgot I'd asked the question. Lynne Marster tweeted to say that they had looked up the lyrics which reminded me to do so. And they are quite something to see. And I think worth quoting in full, though I have to warn you, it just leads to more questions and no answers.

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?

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?

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?

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?

He came to town like a midwinter storm

He rode through the fields, so handsome 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?

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?

He brought disaster wherever he went

The hearts of the girls was 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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

So the line is "If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eye Joe, I'd been married long time ago." Are Red Nex saying if it hadn't been for Cotton-Eye Joe, I WOULD HAVE been married a long time ago? Or is it just a separate thought that doesn't follow from the first line? "If it hadn't been for Cotton-Eye Joe. I had been married a long time ago."

Presumably the former as grammar isn't the song's strong point. Yet it's left incredibly vague as to how or why Cotton-Eye Joe stopped the singer from ever getting married. Which would have been my next question. Along with where did he go? Probably relevant. I wouldn't ask where he came from though. Definitely not twice. My third question might be, "What actually transpired Cotton-Eye Joe?"

The problem is that Cotton-Eye Joe has clearly gone somewhere, where we don't know, but that makes it pointless asking him any question.

And whilst there are two verses sung by a female singer with some different content, they don't go any way to answering the questions and probably leave us asking more. His eyes was his tools and his smile was his gun apparently, which doesn't mean too much - were his tools made of cotton?

We know he made the ladies run away after their hearts was to Hell broken sent, so that explains why the Red Nex remain unmarried, but Cotton-Eye Joe who came for fun with cotton tools and a smile that could shoot bullets suddenly turns into a force of destruction. It really feels like a story that you'd want to explore further. But Red Nex would rather sing the same four lines eleven times. We need more information Red Nex. Our interest is piqued. You can't just ask questions and not give anything remotely like an answer.

Thanks to @nicstorr who sent me this link

to Nina Simone singing a similar but rather different song. It's amazing that Red Nex listened to this and thought - some good stuff in this, but I think we can do it better. And still very few answers Nina.

My main question after all this is where did Red Nex go? I know where they came from- Sweden. But where did they go? And would I have been married a long time ago if it hadn't been for them?

But it wasn't enough for me to do one podcast today. I did a special afternoon Twitch of Fun too. It still doesn't feel right to do a 100th episode so this is episode 99c, but at least all the tech works now. Well apart from at the beginning.

Watch it here

And in my continuing quest to put out more podcasts than there are hours in the day -

RHLSTP Book Club with Kate Summerscale is now up wherever you get your pods

Here’s a clip

I thought about singing the whole of Cotton-Eye Joe for paid subscribers, but I don’t think I should punish them for being so nice.