Ha ha, sounds good, Charlie! But don't kill yourself looking. I'm sure it will come out in the wash eventually.

***

The next one in my chronology --possibly related-- does not have "hi-lo", but it is a similar "Sold to Georgia" song. It has a simple chorus of "Oho!" which *may* suggest, for the time being at least, that "hilo" and other nonsense Oooo's were more or less interchangeable. If that is the case, then "hilo" didn't really mean anything per se. However, if that that is the case it is still interesting that those particular sounds, at a particular place and time, would be common vocables.

1859        Hungerford, James. _The Old Plantation._ New York: Harper & Brothers.

The following is an observation of a slave's song the author heard whilst visiting a relative's plantation in southern Maryland in 1832. The people are on a boat on a creek.

...Charley struck up a song; the other oarsmen answered in chorus, all timing the strokes of their oars to the measure. The song was not by any means enlivening, however, either in words or tune—as the reader will perceive. I have entitled it

SOLD OFF TO GEORGY [Chorus parts are in parentheses]

1. Farewell fellow servants, (O-ho! O-ho!)
I'm gwine way to leabe you (O-ho! O-ho!)
I'm gwine to leave de ole county (O-ho! O-ho!)
I'm sold off to Georgy! (O-ho! O-ho!)

2. Farewell, ole plantation, (Oho! Oho!)
Farewell, de ole quarter, (Oho ! Oho!)
Un daddy, un mammy, (Oho! Oho !)
Un marster, un missus! (Oho ! Oho!)

8. My dear wife un one chile, (Oho! Oho!)
My poor heart is breaking; (Oho ! Oho!)
No more shall I see you, (Oho ! Oho !)
Oh! no more foreber! (Oho! Oho!)

I will be interested to see if "hi-lo" turns up in any/much minstrel material, or if it remained a feature of authentic Black music.