Wellerman – English Lyrics

• By: Nathan Evans

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the infectious energy of "Wellerman," a sea shanty revitalized by Nathan Evans that swept across TikTok and the world, offering a glimpse into the lives of 19th-century whalers and the rhythm of their demanding work; learn about nautical history, folk music traditions, and the power of social media to revive forgotten songs .

[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 traveling on water
wind /wɪnd/ A2	noun - air moving naturally outside verb - to turn or twist
blow /bloʊ/ A2	verb - to produce a current of air
bring /brɪŋ/ A2	verb - to carry someone or something to a place
sugar /ˈʃʊɡər/ A1	noun - sweet crystalline substance used as food
rum /rʌm/ A2	noun - a distilled alcoholic drink made from sugarcane
whale /weɪl/ B1	noun - a large marine mammal
capture /ˈkæptʃər/ B2	verb - to catch or seize
creed /krið/ C1	noun - a set of beliefs or aims
tide /taɪd/ B2	noun - the regular rise and fall of the sea
fight /faɪt/ B1	verb - to battle or compete
together /tuˈɡɛðər/ A2	adverb - with others

Key Grammar Structures

• There once was a ship that put to sea

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "There once was" indicates a completed action in the past.

• The captain called all hands and swore

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ The use of "called" and "swore" shows actions that were completed in the past.

• No line was cut, no whale was freed

  ➔ Passive voice

  ➔ The phrase "was cut" and "was freed" indicates that the subject is acted upon.

• The Wellerman makes his regular call

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "makes his regular call" indicates a habitual action.

• We'll take our leave and go

  ➔ Future simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "We'll take our leave" indicates a planned future action.

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

  ➔ Present perfect tense

  ➔ The phrase "I've heard" indicates an action that has relevance to the present.