I've often wondered this myself. Did the song show up before or after he adopted Dog? The song is a simple tune, which reveals Columbo's genuine simplicity . . . an ordinary kind of guy. I think I recollect reading somewhere the song is believed to have orginated during one of the great plagues of Europe when hand-pulled "body wagons" regularly came around to pick up corpses. This makes the whole song--given its lyrics--macabre.

i believe peter falk just liked the song himself and found it funny to add it to the columbo character. i believe the first time he used it in an episode was in 'any old port in a storm'....when he was on the phone calling about the weather, while he was at the carsini winery...he just started whistling it......and history was born.............yay

Cassa, I don't want (to borrow an old Southern expression) to teach my grandmother to suck eggs -- no offense intended :^) . But, didn't you once tell us that Peter hummed that song in a John Cassavetes movie, even before Columbo started using it?

ted!! i have never heard that expression before...but heck! it's a goodie! you have me cracking up over here!!
let me tell you, i sort of feel a little bit like a old feeble grandmother right now because i don't remember saying that...i probably did...but i just can't remember.
the only jc movie he was in before he started columbo would be husbands...and i don't recall him humming it there..i think i'm losing my mind!!

and i made a mistake...he was in columbo BEFORE he was in husbands.....my bad.....you see, i really am losing my mind!