Wellerman
Nathan Evans 220 KID Billen Ted Lyrics


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There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of that ship was the Billy o' Tea
The winds blew up, her bow dipped down
Oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)

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 (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

(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
Take our leave and go

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

(Hey)

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)

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

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

(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
(Go, go, go, go)
Take our leave and go

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

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum (hey)
One day, when the tonguing' is done
We'll take our leave and go





(Take our leave and go)
(Take our leave and go)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Wellerman" by Nathan Evans, 220 KID & Billen Ted are about a group of sailors who are on a long sea voyage in search of sugar, tea, and rum. The first verse describes the ship they are on, the Billy o' Tea, and how it faces turbulent winds and waves as it sails. The second verse talks about encountering a right whale and the captain’s decision to take it in tow. The chorus of the song talks about the Wellerman, who is a person from New Zealand who would bring the sailors the supplies they need. The chorus is repeated throughout the song.


The song is an example of Sea Shanties, which were popular in the 19th century among sailors. These songs were sung to keep sailors motivated during long sea voyages. The lyrics of "Wellerman" are based on the 19th-century whaling industry in New Zealand. The Wellerman was a supply ship that often came to the whaling stations to provide food and other necessities. The song's lyrics describe the life of whalers on board a ship, dealing with harsh weather conditions, and their quest for supplies.


Line by Line Meaning

There once was a ship that put to sea
A ship left port and set sail


The name of that ship was the Billy o' Tea
The ship was called the Billy o' Tea


The winds blew up, her bow dipped down
Strong winds caused the ship to tilt and move up and down


Oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)
The captain called out to his crew to continue working


She'd not been two weeks from shore
The ship had only been at sea for two weeks


When down on her a right whale bore
A whale attacked the ship


The captain called all hands and swore
The captain called for all crew members to help and promised to catch the whale


He'd take that whale in tow (huh)
He promised to capture the whale and bring it back with them


Soon may the Wellerman come
The crew hoped for the arrival of the Wellerman


To bring us sugar and tea and rum
The crew hoped the Wellerman would bring them supplies


One day, when the tonguing' is done
Once the work on the ship is complete


We'll take our leave and go
The crew will leave the ship and return home


(Go, go, go, go)
Chanting to motivate the crew to keep working


Take our leave and go
They will leave the ship and go home


Before the boat had hit the water
Before the whale could escape back into the water


The whale's tail came up and caught her
The whale attacked the ship before they could capture it


All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her
The crew used harpoons to fight and capture the whale


When she dived down low (huh)
The whale tried to escape by diving deeper into the water


To bring us sugar and tea and rum (hey)
The crew wanted the Wellerman to bring them supplies


(Take our leave and go)
They will leave the ship and go home




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Alex Oriet, David Phelan, Nathan Evans, Samuel Brennan, Tom Hollings, William Graydon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@QC20n87

Amazing remix! Too bad its so short though..

Here’s the lyrics:
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
Oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)

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 (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
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)

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 (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



All comments from YouTube:

@scottF02

When the clubs open and this plays. The scenes

@Harveym99

🤪😜😎

@Nerdchacho

I was thinking this EXACT thing - just for festivals instead. Seeing how people went mad for the baby Shark remix...

@ze4le937

dontttt bro i turned 18 in lockdown and its depressing enough i can't go to the pub with my mates ughhhh

@Harveym99

@@ze4le937 ah sorry man 🙏🏽

@220KID

think ill get arrested for inciting a riot

43 More Replies...

@poohrybin237

This gonna be so nostalgic in 10 years

@selimhi520

OMG you are so right

@projectstxven6785

I hope.

@Leg4cyG

Soon may the wellerman come to recive the nostalgic moments and rum.

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