Hi again Metchosin, Whall has a short version & says it's a paying off shanty & also says it's not a halyard but a windless shanty. Hugill also says it's a paying off shanty & points to collections of Terry & Sharp who have it at the capstan, Bullen & Whall at halyards & Colcord at the windless or capstan. Hugill also has a version from a 'Bluenose shipmate', Ezra Cobb with "rock & row me over" as does Captain Robinson in his "The Bellman" . Hugill says the "Row" points to it's river origin & that probably being the older version & thinks it came from the southern US states.
Barry