Cotton Eye Joe is a traditional American folk song that has been recorded many times, and it became a worldwide dance hit in 1994 when Swedish group Rednex released their techno country version. That version kept the song in clubs, sports arenas and party playlists for decades. Short remixes and sped up edits later spread on video platforms, where creators reuse the instantly familiar melody for cowboy jokes, dance challenges and ironic country scenes far removed from the original folk setting and arrangement altogether today.