I recorded this song two years before that TikTok viral video, which is why the melody I sing is different. It's just the way I had learned to sing it, and the one I'm familiar with, just as you may be familiar with the way the Scottish TikTok guy sang it.
"Soon May The Wellerman Come" is a sea song from New Zealand (where I am also from). It tells the tale of a whaling ship and its struggle with a particularly large right whale. Weller Bros, of Sydney, Australia, were the major shore-whaling company in southern New Zealand in the 1830s and 40s.The "Wellerman" referred to in the song is the boat/skipper bringing supplies to the stations, and taking away the oil accumulated since the last visit. There were shore whaling stations at Otakou (Dunedin), Tautuku, Bluff, and others.
For years I was planning to do a metal version of this song, but I procrastinated too long. Then when it went viral, almost everyone who was in a metal band covered it. It was everywhere. By then it was so overdone, that I gave up on the idea of doing my own metal version, lol!
Lyrics:
There 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,
O blow, my bully boys, blow.
Soon may the Wellerman come
And bring us sugar and tea and rum.
One day, when the tonguin' is done,
We'll take our leave and go.
She had 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
And bring us sugar and tea and rum.
One day, when the tonguin' is done,
We'll take our leave and go.
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 below.
Soon may the Wellerman come
And bring us sugar and tea and rum.
One day, when the tonguin' is done,
We'll take our leave and go.
No line was cut, no whale was freed;
The Captain's mind was not of greed,
But he belonged to the whaleman's creed;
She took the ship in tow.
Soon may the Wellerman come
And bring us sugar and tea and rum.
One day, when the tonguin' is done,
We'll take our leave and go.
For forty days, or even more,
The line went slack, then tight once more.
All boats were lost (there were only four)
But still the whale did go.
Soon may the Wellerman come
And bring us sugar and tea and rum.
One day, when the tonguin' is done,
We'll take our leave and go.
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.
Soon may the Wellerman come
And bring us sugar and tea and rum.
One day, when the tonguin' is done,
We'll take our leave and go.
Ceolskog is the folk metal project of Adam Helliwell from Hamilton, New Zealand. It is also the name given to this nature-themed YouTube channel. Ceol is an Irish word meaning music, and skog means forest in Norwegian and Swedish. I don't have a Patreon. But if you're a regular viewer, and you want to support me some way, then listen to my music from these links:
Ceolskog Bandcamp: [ Ссылка ]
Ceolskog on Spotify: [ Ссылка ]
Ceolskog Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Ceolskog Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
Ceolskog on Apple Music: [ Ссылка ]
Ceolskog on Soundcloud: [ Ссылка ]
Ceolskog on Amazon: [ Ссылка ]
Ceolskog Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
