Hokey Pokey

People doing the Hokey Cokey at an annual "Wartime Weekend" in the United Kingdom

The Hokey Pokey (as it is known in the United States and Canada) or Hokey Cokey (as it is known in the United Kingdom, Ireland, some parts of Australia, and the Caribbean)[1] is a participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure. It is well-known in English-speaking countries. It originates in a British folk dance, with variants attested as early as 1826. The song and accompanying dance peaked in popularity as a music hall song and novelty dance in the mid-1940s in the UK. The song became a chart hit twice in the 1980s. The first UK hit was by The Snowmen, which peaked at UK No. 18 in 1981.

  1. ^ McAlpine, Fraser (March 2012). "Fraser's Phrases: The Curious History of the 'Hokey Cokey'". BBC America. Retrieved 29 November 2018.