Lighter,

There is a line in a traditional Newfoundland song that has "shanty song" in it. The song is Ticklecove Pond, and the verse runs:

When the bowline was fastened around the mare's breast
William White for a shanty song made a request.

Now, I suspect the author used this phrase to make the line scan, and not because that was the usual term. Then again, it is a Newfie song...

Jerry