Wellerman – English Lyrics

• By: Nathan Evans

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be an adventure, and what better way to start than with a sea shanty that sailed the world? 'Wellerman' offers a unique window into 19th-century nautical life with a vocabulary all its own. Through its rousing chorus and compelling story, you can pick up historical terms and enjoy the rhythm and rhyme that make language memorable. The song's global popularity proves that a good story and a strong rhythm can connect people everywhere.

[English]

There once was a ship that put to sea

The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea

The winds blew up, her bow dipped down

O blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' 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 (huh)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done

We'll take our leave and go

Da-da, da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da

Da-da, da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da

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 tonguin' is done

We'll take our leave and go

No line was cut, no whale was freed

The captain's mind was not on greed

And he belonged to the whaleman's creed

She took the ship in tow (huh)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done

We'll take our leave and go

Da-da, da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da

Da-da, da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da

For 40 days, or even more

The line went slack, then tight once more

All boats were lost, there were only four

But still that whale did go (huh)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done

We'll take our leave and 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 (huh)

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done

We'll take our leave and go

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguin' is done

We'll take our leave and go

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ship /ʃɪp/ A2	noun - a large boat for transporting people or goods by sea
blow /bloʊ/ B1	verb - to move air or wind; to produce a current of air
whale /weɪl/ B2	noun - a very large marine mammal that lives in oceans
captain /ˈkæp.tɪn/ B1	noun - the person who is in charge of a ship or aircraft
towe /toʊ/ B2	noun - the act of pulling or hauling a boat or ship with a rope
rum /rʊm/ A2	noun - a strong alcoholic drink made from sugarcane or molasses
sugar /ˈʃʊɡər/ A2	noun - a sweet crystalline substance used as a sweetener
leave /liːv/ A2	verb - to go away from a place
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - a transparent, tasteless, odorless liquid essential for life
fights /faɪts/ B2	noun - physical combat or contest between individuals or groups
greed /ɡriːd/ C1	noun - an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth or possessions

Key Grammar Structures

• There once was a ship that put to sea

  ➔ Existential 'there' + Past Simple

  ➔ This sentence uses the existential "there" to introduce the subject, "a ship." "There was" indicates the existence of something in the past. "Put to sea" is an idiom meaning to begin a voyage.

• The winds blew up, her bow dipped down

  ➔ Past Simple (describing actions in the past)

  ➔ Both "blew" and "dipped" are in the past simple tense, used to narrate past events in a sequential order. They vividly describe the ship's movement in response to the winds.

• Soon may the Wellerman come

  ➔ Inversion for Emphasis (Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb)

  ➔ The standard word order would be "The Wellerman may come soon." Inverting the auxiliary verb "may" with the subject "The Wellerman" adds emphasis and a sense of hopeful anticipation.

• To bring us sugar and tea and rum

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The infinitive "to bring" expresses the purpose of the Wellerman's coming. It explains why they are expected.

• When down on her, a right whale bore

  ➔ Inversion of adverbial phrase for emphasis + Past Simple.

  ➔ The standard word order would be "A right whale bore down on her." By inverting the adverbial phrase "down on her" to the beginning of the sentence, it emphasizes the suddenness and intensity of the whale's approach. 'Bore' is the past simple of 'bear', meaning to move quickly and powerfully in a specified direction.

• He'd take that whale in tow

  ➔ Conditional 'would' in past narratives

  ➔ "He'd" is a contraction of "He would". Here, "would" expresses the captain's intention or determination in the past. Even though the action didn't necessarily happen, "would" shows what he was prepared to do.

• The captain's mind was not on greed

  ➔ Past Simple of 'to be' + preposition 'on'

  ➔ This sentence uses the past simple of the verb "to be" ("was") to describe the captain's state of mind in the past. The preposition "on" indicates the object of his focus or attention.

• As far as I've heard, the fight's still on

  ➔ Present Perfect + Contractions + Present Continuous

  ➔ "I've heard" uses the present perfect to describe an action that started in the past and continues to have relevance in the present. "The fight's still on" uses a contraction for "the fight is" and the present continuous to indicate that the fight is ongoing.