Cotton Eyed Joe is one of the oldest songs in my repertoire; not necessarily old itself, but I've been singing it for fifty years.

Ed McCurdy used it as his theme song, and told me it referred to a blind street musician.

Only two verses in his/my version: Where do you come from? Where do you go? Where do you come from, Cotton eyed Joe? I come for to see you/ come for to sing/ Come for to show you/my diamond ring.

Ella Jenkins has a minor key version in her new Smithsonian Folkways CD.

I've always considered those the "age old questions" and think about the shelves of books of history, religion, philosophy, etc. that try to answer the questions: Where do we come from? Where do we go? The song has been an important part of my life's philosophy.

Storytelling and folk music help answer those questions for me.

Lorne Brown