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Wikipedia: New Zealand-based music teacher and folk music compiler Neil Colquhoun claimed to have collected the song around 1966 from one F. R. Woods. Woods, who was in his 80s at the time, had allegedly heard the song. In 1973, “Soon May the Wellerman Come” was included in Colquhoun’s book of New Zealand folk songs, New Zealand Folksongs: Songs of a Young Country.
Viral Nathan Evans TikTok video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XRM898NMOIg
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XRM898NMOIg
There was a ship that put to sea And the name of the ship was the Billy of Tea. The wind blew up, her bow dipped down, Oh, blow, my bully boys, blow. Chorus: Soon may the Wellerman come And bring us-sugar and tea and rum. One day, when the tonguing is done, We’ll take our leave and go. She had not been two weeks from shore When down on them a right whale bore. The captain called all hands and swore He’d take that whale in tow. Before the boat had hit the water The whale’s tail come up and caught her. All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her, But she dived down below. No line was cut; no whale was freed. The captain’s mind was not on greed. He belonged to the whaleman ‘s creed: She took that ship in tow. For forty days or even more The line went slack, then tight once more. All the boats were lost ( there were only four), But still that whale did go. As far as I know 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.