John Short told Sharp it was a capstan shanty - which kinda fits with the pace and structure (trudge, trudge, etc). However, Charlie's earlier post of an 'adaptation' gives word which go to halliard work - which would work if the pulls were in the right place, however, there were no hauling words in the original. If fact there were only three veses as collected - I added the other 'floating' veses which were slightly varied by Collins & Mageean (and then by every other 'creative' re-writer in the recording world) - so interpretations based on the words are speculation without basis.

Tom