A       Bm      C#      D       E       F#m     
<====>  <====>  <====>  <====>  <====>  <====>  
 |O||    ||||    OOO|    ||||    O|||    |O||   
 O|||    |OOO    ||||    OOO|    |||O    O|O|   
 ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||   
 ||||    O|||    |||O    ||||    |O||    ||||   
.||||   .||||   .||||   .||||   .||||   .||||   
 ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||   

[Verse 1]

 

   F#m

There once was a ship that put to sea

         Bm                      F#m

And the name of the ship was the Billy o' Tea

     F#m

The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down

 C#                    F#m

Blow, me bully boys, blow (huh!)

 

[Chorus]

 

 D           A

Soon may the Wellerman come

    Bm                F#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

D                 A

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       C#                 F#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 2]

 

    F#m

She had not been two weeks from shore

      Bm            F#m

When down on her a right whale bore

     F#m

The captain called all hands and swore

      C#                 F#m

He'd take that whale in tow (huh!)

 

[Chorus]

 

 D           A

Soon may the Wellerman come

    Bm                F#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

D                 A

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       C#                 F#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 3]

 

   F#m

Before the boat had hit the water

      Bm              F#m

The whale's tail came up and caught her

     F#m

All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her

      C#                F#m

When she dived down below (huh!)

 

[Chorus]

 

 D           A

Soon may the Wellerman come

    Bm                 F#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

D                A

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       C#                 F#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 4]

 

    F#m

No line was cut, no whale was freed;

     Bm                F#m

The Captain's mind was not of greed

    F#m

But he belonged to the whaleman's creed;

     C#                F#m

She took the ship in tow (huh!)

 

[Chorus]

 

 D           A

Soon may the Wellerman come

    Bm                 F#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

D                A

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       C#                 F#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 5]

 

     F#m

For forty days, or even more

     Bm                    F#m

The line went slack, then tight once more

     F#m

All boats were lost (there were only four)

      C#                  F#m

But still that whale did go

 

[Chorus]

 

 D           A

Soon may the Wellerman come

    Bm                 F#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

D                A

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       C#                 F#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 6]

 

   F#m

As far as I've heard, the fight's still on;

     Bm                     F#m

The line's not cut and the whale's not gone

     F#m

The Wellerman makes his regular call

     Bm                    F#m

To encourage the Captain, crew, and all

 

[Chorus]

 

 D           A

Soon may the Wellerman come

    Bm                 F#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

D                A

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       C#                 F#m E

We'll take our leave and go

 

 

 D           A

Soon may the Wellerman come

    Bm                 F#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

D                A

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       C#                 F#m

We'll take our leave and go