Good luck in your quest, Mary. I fear it may be less than fruitful.

The "Golden Age" of piracy ran from the lat 1500s to the early 1800s.    Its end roughly coincides with the beginning of the "Golden Age" of the shanty. While there is a possiblility that shanties were employed prior to the early 19th century, this was not a common practise as the shanty was a tool to ensure that work was done at the most efficient pace so as to move commerce more quickly. Pirates were only concerned with speed when fleeing a superior warship. The end of hostilities in 1815 left the US and British navies with nothing much to do but pursue the last vestiges of piracy.

As to forebitters, you'll always be safe with the "Maid of Amsterdam."