A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty is a traditional folk song that was once c… Read Full Bio ↴A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty is a traditional folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large merchant sailing vessels. They were found mostly on British and other European ships, and some had roots in lore and legend. The term shanty most accurately refers to a specific style of work song belonging to this historical repertoire. However, in recent, popular usage, the scope of its definition is sometimes expanded to admit a wider range of repertoire and characteristics, or to refer to a "maritime work song" in general.

Wellerman
Sea Shanty Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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
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

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
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
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
One day, when the tonguing is done
We'll take our leave and go

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 (huh)

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

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
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
One day, when the tonguing is done
We'll take our leave and go

Soon may the Wellerman come
One day, when the tonguing is done
Soon may the Wellerman come

One day, when the tonguing is done
We'll take our leave and go

Overall Meaning

The Sea Shanty song "Wellerman" tells the story of a whaling ship called Billy of Tea, which sets sail to hunt whales near New Zealand. The ship encounters a right whale, which the captain vows to harpoon and capture. However, the whale pulls the ship underwater, and a group of sailors fights to release the ship. The chorus of the song requests a Wellerman, or a supply vessel, to bring the crew sugar, tea, and rum. The sailors look forward to the day when the whale is captured and the ship can return to port. The narrative highlights the danger and unpredictability of whaling, as well as the reliance of sailors on supply vessels to bring them necessary provisions.

The lyrics of "Wellerman" resonate with listeners because of their tales of adventure and struggle at sea. The shanty is a type of folk music that has been an integral part of seafaring life for centuries. The song originated in New Zealand during the mid-1800s and was used to help coordinate the efforts of sailors as they worked together to haul in heavy fishing nets or raise sails. Sea shanties like "Wellerman" were often sung in call-and-response format, with a soloist leading the crew in singing each line of the song. The repetitive structure of the song made it easier for sailors to remember and sing, even when they were fatigued or in rough seas.

Line by Line Meaning

There once was a ship that put to sea
Once a ship set sail from shore

The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea
The ship was called Billy of Tea

The winds blew up, her bow dipped down
As the winds grew stronger, the ship began to sink down at the front

Blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)
Blow hard, my fearless crew, blow the wind!

She'd not been two weeks from shore
It had not been two weeks since the ship had left the land

When down on her a right whale bore
A right whale came down upon the ship

The captain called all hands and swore
The captain called for all his men and made an oath

He'd take that whale in tow
He planned to capture and pull the whale along

Soon may the Wellerman come
Hopefully, the ship will receive a visit from the Wellerman soon

To bring us sugar and tea and rum
He will bring us sugar, tea, and rum

One day, when the tonguing is done
When the whale is caught and processed

We'll take our leave and go
We will leave the sea and go back to the land

Before the boat had hit the water
Before the boat was launched into the sea

The whale's tail came up and caught her
The whale's tail emerged and trapped the boat

All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her
Everyone rushed to the side and started fighting the whale with their harpoons

When she dived down low (huh)
As the whale went deep into the water