Behind the Meaning of the Sea Ballad “The Wellerman”

Work songs.

Long ago, when most of the world was outside of their homes, working, growing, building, hunting, and living off the land (and not on social media machines), the work song was as important as any bit of rain or sunshine to creating a life.

The work song kept you going. Its rhythms became your rhythms. Its chorus became your comfort.

So, it’s with this as the backdrop that the sea ballad, “The Wellerman,” the meaning of which is both curious and historical, was born in New Zealand 150 years ago. Let’s investigate.

Origins

Known as “Soon May the Wellerman Come” as well as “Wellerman” or “The Wellerman,” the sea shanty from New Zealand dates back to 1860.

A long song with lots of lyrics, the song likely provided a great deal of meaning and accompaniment to long days in the country as shore whalers hunted their giant sea mammals for flesh and oil.

The title of the song is a reference to supply ships owned by the Weller brothers, who were some of the earliest European settlers of the Otago region of New Zealand.

Popularity on TikTok

In 2021, Scottish singer Nathan Evans earned a viral hit on the social media platform TikTok for his cover of “The Wellerman.” The popularity of the track also led to a boon in popularity around sea songs, in general. Check out Evans’ rendition of the song below.

New Zealand Whaling

Whaling in New Zealand dates back to the late 1700s through the mid-20th Century.

In 1831, the British-born trio of Weller brothers—Edward, George, and Joseph—who had emigrated to Sydney, Australia two years prior, created a whaling station at Otakou on the South Island of New Zealand.

The Weller brothers were known then for shipping many important items, including luxury supplies like rum and gun powder. From 1833, the Weller brothers made a name for themselves, supplying whalers in New Zealand with what they needed. Their employees, thus, became known as “wellermen.”

While whaling has been popular in many regions around the world, in New Zealand, whalers practiced what’s known as “shore-based” whaling, which requires them to process the whale carcasses on land, not at sea. It was a great deal of work and require a song with catchiness and meaning that provided some stability to them as they toiled.

At its peak in the early 1800s, the Otakou station produced 310 tons of whale oil per year. It, therefore, was a financial boon to the Weller brothers, too. Commercial whaling in New Zealand continued until the 1960s.

“The Wellerman” Lyrics

The first two verses of the sea ballad go like this:

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)

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

As you can see, the meaning of the song describes a whaling ship and its hunt for the “right whale,” which is a fatty, bulbous variety. On their search, the crew is hoping for a “wellerman” to find them and bring the supplies they thirst for: rum, sugar, and tea (aka drugs).

According to the New Zealand Folk Song website, the workers “at these bay-whaling stations (shore whalers) were not paid wages, they were paid in slops (ready-made clothing), spirits and tobacco.”

The song’s chorus highlights the idea of “tonguing,” which is the practice of cutting strips of whale blubber to render and turn into oil for sale. And the majority of the song highlights the ship’s captain on the hunt, keen-eyed, for the whale that will bring them the most profit (and oil).

But, of course, the work would be made that much easier with a little rum.

Authorship

The song’s authorship is unknown. It dates back, likely, to about 1860 in New Zealand, and many think was likely written by a pirate or whaler or shipman.

The song was likely sung while slicing and dicing a whale carcass.

It was originally collected for publication, about 100 years after it was written in 1966 by New Zealand-based music teacher and folk music composer Neil Colquhoun, from the then-80-year-old F.R. Woods, a music historian of sorts.

Woods’ uncle, D.H. Rogers, was thought to be a teenage pirate or shore whaler in the mid-19th Century. He may have composed the song “The Wellerman,” or at least memorized it and recited it formally to his nephew. But that anecdote may be apocryphal.

“The Wellerman” In Popular Culture

Throughout the past few decades, “The Wellerman” has been recorded many times. In 1990, the New England-based folk trio Gordon Bok, Ann Mayo Muir, and Ed Trickett recorded a version on their LP, And So Will We Yet.

In 2013, the Wellington Sea Shanty Society released a version of the song on their album, Now That’s What I Call Sea Shanties Vol. 1.

In 2018, the Bristol-based a cappella group, The Longest Johns, released a version of it on their album, Between Wind and Water.

In 2021, on the heels of “ShantyTok,” Wellington Sea Shanty Society member Lake Davineer explained that their recording had experienced a new moment of popularity.

Also in 2021, German Pirate Metal band Storm Seeker covered the song.

But likely the most popular version of the song these days comes from Nathan Evans. After its release, the song reached No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart thanks to its popularity on TikTok.

Check out Evans’ meaningful recording and accompanying music video below.

Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images