Back in 19-ought-52, Claire, the girl who got me interested in folk music in the first place, sang it "Ri-coodle, ri-coodle, ri-coodle, eye-aye." She had learned it from a song book, but I'm not sure which one. Shortly thereafter, I heard Walt Robertson sing it, and the refrain he used was "Hoo-dle dang, fol-de-dye-do, hoo-dle dang, fol-de-day." So it isn't just some recent publisher's cute idea, it's been around for awhile.

I've also heard it sung with "Sing too-rali oorali oorali ay." But I've heard that same refrain used with a number of other songs as well. Also, I've heard it sung with no refrain at all.

Don Firth