Jim Dixon's contribution above is the Copper Family version - well-known and deservedly popular - and just as impenetrable as the one under discussion...a bit like the shepherd's daughter, perchance?

Most of the shanties (Shenandoah is a capstan shanty) that we know have been bowdlerised, largely by Stan Hugill and also by other collectors. If anyone knows a source of original, unbowdlerised, versions, I'd be glad to hear of them.

Steve
(who has to turn up at work 21 more times now!)