'Cheerily', 'cheerly', show up often in speech of the mid-19th C.; they seem to have been a popular expression of the times.

One song is "Pull Away Cheerily, The Gold Diggers Song,", 1845+, two versions, Henry Russell and Harry Lee Carter; English stage. The lyrics and midi (Russell) are at pdmusic.org.

I have posted this song in a separate thread because it may not be the inspiration for the chantey.


A children's song begins,
Pull away cheerily, work with a will!
Day after day every task should be done!
Idleness bringeth ...etc., etc.
(An unlikely possibility)