The Wellerman
from Songs of the Lakes, Rivers, and Seas: Shanties, Forecastle Songs, and Other Maritime Ballads by Shantyland
about
The Wellerman (Ballad Index Colq010 ; Mudcat 13706) is a whaling song from New Zealand collected in 1966 by Neil Colquhoun. The song tells the story of a skipper named the "Billy o' Tea" under the employment of the Weller Brothers, a large New Zealand and Australia-based shore-whaling company during the 1830s and 40s. The "Billy o' Tea" is being sent out to resupply a whaling ship and take the oil they've collected back to shore. The whaling ship ends up spearing a whale and gets pulled away.
Ben and Michael both learned this song from the Longest Johns on their 2018 album "Between Wind and Air".
Michael Dause is also a part of these fantastic projects:
Treeskin (treeskin.bandcamp.com)
The Accidentals (theaccidentalsmusic.com)
Listen to Between Wind and Air by the Longest Johns:
thelongestjohns.bandcamp.com/album/between-wind-and-water
Ben and Michael both learned this song from the Longest Johns on their 2018 album "Between Wind and Air".
Michael Dause is also a part of these fantastic projects:
Treeskin (treeskin.bandcamp.com)
The Accidentals (theaccidentalsmusic.com)
Listen to Between Wind and Air by the Longest Johns:
thelongestjohns.bandcamp.com/album/between-wind-and-water
lyrics
There once was a ship that put to sea
And the name of that ship was the Billy o' Tea
The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down
Blow, me bully boys, blow
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
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
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing' 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
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing' is done
We'll take our leave and go
No line was cut, no whale was freed
An' the captain's mind was not on greed
But he belonged to the Whaleman's creed
She took that ship in tow
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
For forty days or even more
The line went slack then tight once more
All boats were lost, there were only four
And still that whale did go
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 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
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing' is done
We'll take our leave and go
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
And the name of that ship was the Billy o' Tea
The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down
Blow, me bully boys, blow
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
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
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing' 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
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing' is done
We'll take our leave and go
No line was cut, no whale was freed
An' the captain's mind was not on greed
But he belonged to the Whaleman's creed
She took that ship in tow
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
For forty days or even more
The line went slack then tight once more
All boats were lost, there were only four
And still that whale did go
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 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
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing' is done
We'll take our leave and go
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
credits
from Songs of the Lakes, Rivers, and Seas: Shanties, Forecastle Songs, and Other Maritime Ballads,
track released March 5, 2021
Words and music traditional
Ben: Main vocals, mandolin, bass and tenor harmonies, bodhrán
Michael: Tenor harmony, guitar, kick drum
Recorded by Michael Dause & Ben Traverse in January, 2021
Mixed & Mastered by Michael Dause in February, 2021
Cover design by Ben Traverse in January, 2021
Words and music traditional
Ben: Main vocals, mandolin, bass and tenor harmonies, bodhrán
Michael: Tenor harmony, guitar, kick drum
Recorded by Michael Dause & Ben Traverse in January, 2021
Mixed & Mastered by Michael Dause in February, 2021
Cover design by Ben Traverse in January, 2021
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
Ben Traverse Grand Rapids, Michigan
Michigander and Earthwork Music Collective member Ben Traverse is a young balladeer with a very wide hat who commands a wide array of instruments in their mission to bring the finest traditional folk music into the 21st century.
shows
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Apr 28Lansing, MI
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May 1Ann Arbor, MI
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May 3Three Oaks, MI
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May 4Traverse City, MI
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May 5Ludington, MI
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May 8Ludington, MI
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May 15Niles, MI
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Jun 7Mio, MI
discography
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Nov 2023 -
Dec 2022 -
May 2022 -
Jul 2021
contact / help
Ben Traverse recommends:
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Michael is one of my dearest friends and the other half of Shantyland. Go listen to his wonderful album. I also sang on the first track and helped with micing on another!
go to album
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