Bill, if you go upthread to Joe Offer's post of Sept 4, 2001, you will see that the earliest version is from 1915. That means it's so old it isn't copyright anymore.

People will claim to have copyright based on their arrangement, but you can't copyright an arrangement. But if you're nervous about it, change a chord or change the strum, and you have a new arrangement.

It's a creepy song, but the chorus is so hypnotic.....