I'm trying to find the origin of a little ditty sung in The Bahamas for over a century. At present, it's been converted, I think, to "alla balla" or "a la pala". But I'm wondering whether there may be any remote connection to, say, the Scottish folk song that begins "Ally bally, ally bally bee". In the Bahamian chant, it goes "Alla balla, chicken ca lala, alla balla boo".