Wellerman Lyrics
About this song
"Wellerman" — formally titled "Soon May the Wellerman Come" — is a 19th-century New Zealand whaling ballad that became one of the most listened-to folk songs in the world in early 2021. For the full story, see the 2021 sea shanty revival article.
The song describes a whaling ship called the Billy o' Tea and its crew's hunt for a right whale. The "Wellerman" was a supply ship owned by the Weller Brothers, a Sydney-based whaling company operating along the southern coast of New Zealand in the 1830s. Note that "Wellerman" is technically a forebitter — a sea song sung for recreation — rather than a true working shanty.
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Lyrics
Forecastle ballad (sea song)
There once was a ship that put to sea,
The name of the ship was the Billy o' Tea.
The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down,
Blow, me bully boys, blow!
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum.
One day, when the tonguing is done,
We'll take our leave and go.
She had not been two weeks from shore
When down on her a right whale bore.
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take that whale in tow.
Before the boat had hit the water
The whale's tail came up and caught her.
All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her
When she dived down below.
No line was cut, no whale was freed,
The captain's mind was not on greed,
But he belonged to the Whaleman's Creed —
She took that ship in tow.
For forty days or even more
The line went slack then tight once more.
All boats were lost, there were only four,
And still that whale did go.
As far as I've heard, the fight's still on,
The line's not cut, and the whale's not gone.
The Wellerman makes his regular call
To encourage the captain, crew and all.
Glossary
Tonguing refers to cutting strips of blubber from a whale to render into oil. The Whaleman's Creed was an informal code never to abandon a struck whale. For more terms, see the sea shanty glossary.
Related shanties
Rolling Down to Old Maui — Pacific whaling song
Leave Her, Johnny — ceremonial farewell shanty
Shenandoah — windlass shanty with similar longing
Drunken Sailor — the most famous working shanty