Cotton-Eyed Joe Traditional Transcriptions

[1882 Version, Published 1910 by Harper and Brothers]

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