Soon May The Wellerman Come, also known as Wellerman is a well-known whaling song. Originating from New Zealand, the shanty frequently refers to the wellermen, supply ships owned by the Weller Brothers. It continues its chorus with "And bring us sugar and tea and rum," and thus illustrates that Weller Bros were major suppliers of shore whalers. "The workers at these bay-whaling stations were not paid wages, they were paid in slops, spirits and tobacco." First published in a book of New Zealand folk songs in 1973, the song became an unlikely viral hit on the social media site TikTok in 2021.
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jVPNyLfmR0s/maxresdefault.jpg)