{title: Wellerman}
{artist: Traditional (New Zealand)}
{key: Dm}
{tempo: 110}
{difficulty: intermediate}
{tags: shanty,traditional,modal,whaling}
{video: youtube:qP-7GNoDJ5c}
{credit: Nathan Evans - 'Wellerman' (the viral 2021 sea shanty). (c) Polydor Records. Traditional New Zealand whaling song (PD composition).}

{c: A New Zealand whaling song from the 1860s. Goes modal between Dm and F/C. Made famous again by Nathan Evans in 2021.}
{c: Strum: steady boom-chuck. Watch the chord change on "Wellerman" — it lands on F.}

{start_of_verse}
There once was a [Dm]ship that put to sea
The name of the [F]ship was the [C]Billy of [Dm]Tea
The winds blew up, her [Dm]bow dipped down
Oh [Am]blow, my bully boys, [Dm]blow (huh!)
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_chorus}
Soon may the [F]Wellerman [C]come
To bring us [Am]sugar and tea and [Dm]rum
One day, when the [F]tonguing is [C]done
We'll take our [Am]leave and [Dm]go
{end_of_chorus}

{start_of_verse}
She had not been [Dm]two weeks from shore
When down on her a [F]right whale [C]bore
The captain called [Dm]all hands and swore
He'd [Am]take that whale in [Dm]tow (huh!)
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_verse}
Before the boat had [Dm]hit the water
The whale's tail came [F]up and [C]caught her
All hands to the [Dm]side, harpooned and fought her
When [Am]she dived down [Dm]low (huh!)
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_verse}
No line was cut, no [Dm]whale was freed
The captain's mind was [F]not on [C]greed
But he belonged to the [Dm]Whaleman's creed
She [Am]took the ship in [Dm]tow (huh!)
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_verse}
For forty days or [Dm]even more
The line went slack then [F]tight once [C]more
All boats were lost, there were [Dm]only four
But [Am]still that whale did [Dm]go (huh!)
{end_of_verse}

{start_of_verse}
As far as I've [Dm]heard, the fight's still on
The line's not cut and the [F]whale's not [C]gone
The Wellerman makes his [Dm]regular call
To [Am]encourage the captain, [Dm]crew, and all (huh!)
{end_of_verse}

{c: "Tonguing" = stripping blubber. "Wellerman" = supply ship from the Weller Brothers whaling company in Otago, NZ.}
{c: For mandolin: chop on the 2 and 4. Concertina: drone on D underneath the chorus.}