We love singing "The Hokey Cokey" at parties, weddings and special occasions (for me the song brings back memories of birthday parties in the 1980s!).

But did you know the lyrics go way back?

It was a well-known music hall song and participation dance in the 1940s in the UK, but we can go even further back - the actual origin of the lyrics is unknown as there have been so many variations of the song over the years.

It seems it was once a popular folk song and may have originated in Scotland - one of the earliest known publications is way back in 1826 in Popular Rhymes of Scotland by Robert Chambers (who incidentally was a publisher, controversial author, geologist and evolutionary thinker!). It became known at the "Hinkumbooby":

 

Fal de ral la, fal de ral la:

Hinkumbooby, round about;

Right hands in, and left hands out,

Hinkumbooby, round about;

Fal de ral la, fal de ral la

 

Another early documented version of the song was in 1857 by two sisters from Canterbury who were visiting America and sang this “English/Scottish ditty”….. “with appropriate hand gestures”:  

I put my right hand in,

I put my right hand out,

In out, in out.

shake it all about.

As the song continues, the "left hand" is put in, then the "right foot," then the "left foot," then "my whole head."

 

A version from around 1891 from the town of Golspie in Scotland was published by Edward W. B. Nicholson:

 

Hilli ballu ballai!

Hilli ballu ballight!

Hilli ballu ballai!

Upon a Saturday night.

Put all your right feet out,

Put all your left feet in,

Turn them a little, a little,

And turn yourselves about.

 

Sound familiar? Well in English Folk-Rhymes (1882) a version was published, which is said to have originated in Sheffield, of what we may now call “Looby Loo”:

 

Can you dance looby, looby,

Can you dance looby, looby,

Can you dance looby, looby,

All on a Friday night?

You put your right foot in;

And then you take it out,

And wag it, and wag it, and wag it,

Then turn and turn about

So both the Hokey Cokey and Here we go Looby Loo, may well have the same origins!

Extra Fun Fact!

In the US the song is known as The Hokey Pokey, with authorship widely contested – Larry LaPrise recorded the song with his band in 1948 and claimed copyright, this was then disputed by Jimmy Kennedy who had published the “Cokey Cokey” in 1942. A court case ensued and was settled out of court. Who knew there was so much drama attached to our party favourite!

 

Extra Extra fun fact!

In 1953 Ray Anthony from the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra recorded The Hokey Pokey with Jo Ann Greer & The Skyliners, which turned the song into a nationwide sensation. I thoroughly recommend doing an internet search and having a listen, it’s got that fantastic wartime big band sound….