To chant "heigh-ho", a cadence-count used for synchronized walking, marching, pulling, lifting, etc.1927 Porterfield, William M.Bamboo and its uses in China, Chinese Government Bureau of Economic Information, Booklet Series 2, p40. Cited in David Farrelly, The Book of Bamboo, p25; Sierra Club Books, 1984.
Big bamboo poles are used for carrying heavy loads in China. In the cities one hears the familiar antiphonal 'heigh-ho'ing, indicating that a heavy load is being moved somewhere. The heavier the load, the louder and more agonized the chant.
1937 Walt Disney, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, animated feature-length motion picture; a chant sung by the seven dwarfs:
