Wellerman is an old song that got a new life.
The reasons for the newfound success were Nathan Evans and TikTok.
But not in that order.
Evans recorded the song, but TikTok made it a viral sensation.
Many fans made their own videos singing along to Evans’ Wellerman.
But few ever knew the actual Wellerman lyrics meaning.
Or even what a wellerman is.
That’s what we’re going to clear up today. Keep reading to learn what the name of this song means and what the lyrics are all about.
Table of Contents
Wellerman Lyrics And Meaning
Wellerman is a sea shanty that became famous through TikTok thanks to a recreation by Nathan Evans, a Scottish singer. He injected a new lease on life into a traditional song that’s been passed down through the centuries.
He did this by adding a modern twist to the song. This opened it up and captivated a new and younger audience. It became an instant success and even made its way to number three on the U.K. charts.
The song has a folky element to it, which helps make the lyrics catchy and appealing. It’s no wonder it gained success over social media. In fact, without social media, it is unlikely the song would have seen much success.
As is common these days, other users on TikTok created their own short videos to the song, where they would sing along. This brought the song to TikTok feeds across the world and only helped to boost Evans’s popularity.
The song become a viral hit and the boost to Evan’s popularity gained him 760,000 followers on TikTok. If this wasn’t enough, it also led him to be signed by the record label Polydor.
Let’s take a closer look at the Wellerman lyrics, before diving into their meaning.
Wellerman Lyrics
Verse 1
There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of the ship was the Billy O’ Tea
The winds blew up, her bow dipped down
Oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)
Chorus
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
Verse 2
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)
Chorus
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
Verse 3
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)
Chorus
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
Verse 4
No line was cut, no whale was freed
The captain’s mind was not of greed
And he belonged to the Whaleman’s creed
She took that ship in tow (huh)
Chorus
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
Verse 5
For forty 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)
Chorus
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
Verse 6
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)
Chorus
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
Wellerman Meaning
The song has quite a deep history. The Weller brothers owned a fleet of supply ships back in the 1830s. They were based in New Zealand and would sail out to meet sailors to hand over provisions.
The brothers, and later the crews of the ships they owned, became known as “wellermen” which was an obvious play on their surname.
Back in the 19th century, whaling was a significant industry in Australia and New Zealand. The whale oil and bone were valuable commodities, and the industry attracted many European settlers to these shores.
The working conditions for whalers were harsh, and the job often involved long periods at sea. The lyrics of Wellerman depict the difficult life of these sailors, as well as their camaraderie and the excitement of the arrival of the “wellermen”, the supply ships that would bring much-needed provisions and respite.
Wellerman is a sea shanty, a work song that sailors would sing to keep themselves uplifted while they were working away at sea. It’s a catchy song that everyone can sing along to and give a community feel to the ship.
In a time when sailors did not have had much to keep themselves entertained aboard a ship during a long journey, songs like this were a great way to pass the time.
As mentioned, the lyrics of this particular sea shanty reflect the anticipation a sailor feels when it’s almost time for the wellermen to come and deliver supplies. These supplies include rum, sugar and tea, so you can understand why a sailor would be so happy to receive them!
Obviously, the sailors in the song are working on a whaling ship. The lyrics include lines such as “as far as I’ve heard the fight’s still on, the line’s not cut, and the whale’s not gone.” If you ask me, that almost has elements of Melville’s Moby Dick running through it.
It also has the line “”. Whatever you think “tonguing” means here, you’re probably wrong. When it comes to whaling, “tonguing” means the act of removing the blubber from a rotting whale carcass.
Of course, with such an old song, there are going to be many versions out there. Especially since Nathan Evans’ new rendition of the much-loved sea shanty became such a hit.
Other Versions
Other artists have also given this sea shanty a go, including ones from long before Evans’ version. There have been ten recordings of the song since 1971.
Another popular version was by a folk trio consisting of Gordon Bok, Ann Mayo Muir and Ed Trickett. They recorded the song in 1990 and released it on their album And So We Will Yet.
In 2013, the Wellington Sea Shanty Society produced another popular rendition and featured it on the album Now That’s What I Call Sea Shanties Vol 1.
While both those versions were enjoyed some popularity, it wasn’t until 2021, when Evans released his version, that the song really took off. And that was down to the powers of social media.
That said, taking long-existing lyrics and repackaging them into a modern hit worked before social media. Just look at the Cotton Eye Joe lyrics. That song was a monster hit in the 90s, long before the advent of social media.
Wellerman Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts
Wellerman is a few hundred years old, hailing from a time when men spent many weeks on ships and whaling was big business. But few people knew the song existed.
That changed in 2021, when Nathan Evans recorded his take on the tune and it went viral on TikTok. Suddenly, everyone was singing this old sea shanty.
But few of those new fans knew what the Wellerman lyrics meaning actually is. In the end, it is very much a song of its time. Not many would romanticize whaling anymore in today’s world.
Leave a Reply