As was said another threads and here, a chantey could be used for several purposes. A prime example is "John Kanaka," which could be used for pumping, rowing, short or long haul, depending on the need and metre. The only way I have never heard work done to it is the way it is commonly performed: With the second appearance of the word "Tuliyay" extended for as long as the leader can hold the final note. The extension was introduced by the X Seaman's Institute and was widely adopted. They also changed the word from Stan's presentation to "Turiyay," a change which all right-thinking performers reject.

A lot of songs went to sea, including many ballads and other "homely" (in the original sense) songs. Most never made it into the work genre and were, instead, used for amusement during the off watches.