, ▁i . e . ▁as ▁sh ant ies . ▁ ▁Sh ant y ▁re per toire ▁borrow ed ▁from ▁the ▁contemporary ▁popular ▁music ▁enjoyed ▁by ▁sail ors , ▁including ▁min st rel ▁music , ▁popular ▁march es , ▁and ▁land - based ▁folk ▁songs , ▁which ▁were ▁adapted ▁to ▁suit ▁musical ▁forms ▁matching ▁the ▁various ▁labor ▁tasks ▁required ▁to ▁operate ▁a ▁sail ing ▁ship . ▁Such ▁tasks , ▁which ▁usually ▁required ▁a ▁coordin ated ▁group ▁effort ▁in ▁either ▁a ▁pulling ▁or ▁pushing ▁action , ▁included ▁we igh ing ▁anchor ▁and ▁setting ▁sail . ▁ ▁" Po or ▁P addy ▁Works ▁on ▁the ▁Railway " ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁Irish ▁and ▁American ▁folk ▁song . ▁Histor ically , ▁it ▁was ▁often ▁s ung ▁as ▁a ▁sea ▁chant y . ▁The ▁song ▁port ray s ▁an ▁Irish ▁worker ▁working ▁on ▁a ▁rail road . ▁There ▁are ▁numerous ▁titles ▁of ▁the ▁song ▁including , ▁" Pat ▁Works ▁on ▁the ▁Railway " ▁and ▁" P addy ▁on ▁the ▁Railway ". ▁" P addy ▁Works ▁on ▁the ▁Er ie " ▁is ▁another ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁song . ▁" P addy ▁on ▁the ▁Railway " ▁is ▁att ested ▁as ▁a ▁chant y ▁in ▁the ▁earliest ▁known ▁published ▁work ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁word ▁" chant y ", ▁G . ▁E . ▁Clark ' s ▁Seven ▁Years ▁of ▁a ▁S ail or ' s ▁Life ▁( 1 8 6 7 ). ▁Clark ▁rec ount ed ▁experiences ▁fish ing ▁on ▁the ▁Grand ▁B anks ▁of ▁New found land , ▁in ▁a ▁vessel