Wellerman – English Lyrics

• By: Gummibär

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the whimsical world of 'Wellerman' by Gummibär, a modern, lighthearted rendition of a traditional sea shanty. Its catchy and repetitive tune makes it an ideal song for English language learners. Through its simple yet engaging narrative lyrics, you can learn vocabulary related to sailing and history, while the playful animation offers a fun and memorable way to immerse yourself in English culture.

[English]

There once was a ship that put to sea

and the name of the ship was the Billy of Tea

The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down

blow, me bully boys, blow (hey!)

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'd 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 (hey!)

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

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 low (huh)

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

We'll take our leave and go, we'll take our leave and go

We'll take our leave and go, Oh blow me bully boys, blow (hey!)

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

There once was a ship that put to sea

and the name of the ship was the Billy of Tea

The winds blew up, her bow dipped down

Blow me bully boys, blow (hey!)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ship /ʃɪp/ A1	noun - a large watercraft that travels on seas or oceans
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the large body of salt water that covers most of the earth
bow /baʊ/ A2	noun - the front part of a ship
whale /weɪl/ A2	noun - a very large marine mammal
captain /ˈkæptən/ A2	noun - the person in command of a ship
hands /hændz/ A2	noun - crew members of a ship (often called 'hands')
harpooned /ˈhɑːrpʊnd/ B2	verb - to pierce with a harpoon
fought /fɔːt/ A2	verb - to engage in a struggle or combat
tail /teɪl/ A1	noun - the rear part of an animal or a ship
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - a clear, colorless liquid that forms the seas, rivers and rain
tonguing /ˈtʌŋɡɪŋ/ B2	verb - the act of using the tongue, especially to articulate speech or music
leave /liːv/ A2	verb - to go away from a place
blow /bloʊ/ A1	verb - to move air out of the mouth or through something
bully /ˈbʊli/ A2	noun - a person who intimidates or harms others
wellerman /ˈwɛləmən/ C1	noun - the name of a whaling supply ship mentioned in the song
sugar /ˈʃʊɡər/ A1	noun - a sweet crystalline substance obtained from sugarcane or beet
tea /tiː/ A1	noun - a hot drink made by infusing dried leaves in boiling water
rum /rʌm/ B1	noun - a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products
tow /toʊ/ B1	verb - to pull something, especially a vehicle, behind another