Charlie--

I think that even if these Jamaican gents in the crew had "folk-processed" something, what they sang would have meaning. This was their living, breathing, music -- in which they said what they wanted, and meant what they said. "Lanky" may have been a change from something else originally -- I really don't know what! BUT, I would bet that "lanky" also had its own meaning independent of that. We can't get the meaning because it is either too archaic, too regional, or.....my bet...... Hatfield misunderstood it, so he wrote something approximating a spelling.

The singers' accents probably colored the way Hatfield heard "unknown" words.

It's quite a puzzle! Keep thinking =D