The Hokey Cokey is a centuries-old folk dance, not a 1940s invention.

Cultures · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While many believe this participatory dance was born during the Blitz, its roots stretch back to the 19th century. From Scottish rhymes to American ski resorts, the song evolved through various regional versions, proving that this popular novelty dance is a long-standing folk tradition rather than a modern invention.

Despite modern myths suggesting the Hokey Cokey was a 1940s creation, historical evidence confirms it is a long-standing folk dance. Variants of the song and its distinctive movements were attested as early as 1826. By 1842, a version with a very similar dance appeared in Robert Chambers' Popular Rhymes of Scotland. Even earlier, in 1857, a song with "appropriate gestures" was performed by two sisters traveling from Canterbury, England, to New Hampshire, USA, described as an "English/Scottish ditty."

The song's evolution is marked by several distinct lineages. In 1872, a version known as "Ugly Mug" was documented, and by 1892, a Sheffield-based version appeared in English Folk-Rhymes. Around 1900, a song titled "Turn The Right Hand In" featured a similar structure of turning limbs and bodies, though the tune differed. These early records suggest a common origin with the song "Looby (or Loopty) Loo."

The 1940s narrative is often tied to British bandleader Al Tabor, who supposedly received a suggestion to write a party song during the Blitz. While Tabor is associated with the name "Hokey Cokey," publication history contradicts claims of a recent invention. In the United States, the song became a novelty for ski crowds in the late 1940s, leading to a famous copyright dispute between the Ram Trio and two musicians from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who had copyrighted a similar dance in 1944. The legal battle over the "Hokey Pokey" was eventually settled out of court.

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