“Our men were kept from thinking too deeply by their songs and the splashing of the oars, which kept time to them. Lisa himself siezed the helm, and gave the song,* and at the close of every stanza, made the woods ring with his shouts of encouragement. The whole was intermixed, with short and pithy addresses to their fears, their hopes, or their ambition.

* The patron usually sings the first couplet, the chorus is then sung by the whole; the songs are very trifling, but the tunes not disagreeable. The following are some verses of a favorite song: —

        Derrière chêz nous, il y a un etang,
        Ye, ye ment:
        Trois canards s'en vons baignans,
        Tous du lóng de la rivière,
        Legèrement ma bergère,
        Legèrement, ye ment.

        Trois cannards s'en vons baignans,
        Ye, ye ment:
        Le fis du roi s'en va chassant,
        Tous du lóng de la rivière.
        Legèrement ma bergère,
        Legèrement ye ment.

        Le fis du roi s'en va chassant,
        Ye, ye ment:
        Avec son grand fusil d'argent,
        Tous du lóng de la rivière,
        Legèrement ma bergère
        Legèrement, ye ment.
                        &c. &c.
[Journal of a Voyage up the River Missouri - 1811, 2nd ed, Brackenridge, 1816, pp.57-58]
Maritime work song in general