Jon W. mentioned

the shanghai'ed Rueben Ranzo

I'd not heard a version where Rueben Ranzo was shanhai'ed. The version I've known for years went:

Oh Ranzo was no sailor
    (Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!)
So he shipped aboard a whaler!
    (Ranzo, me boys, Ranzo!)

The idea being that absolute green landlubbers, being ignorant of the demands of sea service, wouldn't know better than to sign on a whaler.

And that in order to fill out whaler ships complements the recruiters would accept absolute know-nothings.

"He shipped aboard" to me implies that he actually signed on.

Perhaps I just haven't run into the right versions of the shanty.

Dave Oesterreich