A#      B       C#      D#m     F#      G#m     
<====>  <====>  <====>  <====>  <====>  <====>  
 ||OO    ||||    OOO|    |||O    |O|O    O|||   
 |O||    ||OO    ||||    ||O|    ||O|    |||O   
 O|||    |O||    ||||    OO||    O|||    |O||   
 ||||    O|||    |||O    ||||    ||||    ||O|   
.||||   .||||   .||||   .||||   .||||   .||||   
 ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||    ||||   

[Verse 1]

 

   D#m

There once was a ship that put to sea

         G#m                      D#m

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

     D#m

The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down

 A#                    D#m

Blow, me bully boys, blow (huh!)

 

[Chorus]

 

 B           F#

Soon may the Wellerman come

    G#m                D#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

B                 F#

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       A#                 D#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 2]

 

    D#m

She had not been two weeks from shore

      G#m            D#m

When down on her a right whale bore

     D#m

The captain called all hands and swore

      A#                 D#m

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

 

[Chorus]

 

 B           F#

Soon may the Wellerman come

    G#m                D#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

B                 F#

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       A#                 D#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 3]

 

   D#m

Before the boat had hit the water

      G#m              D#m

The whale's tail came up and caught her

     D#m

All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her

      A#                D#m

When she dived down below (huh!)

 

[Chorus]

 

 B           F#

Soon may the Wellerman come

    G#m                 D#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

B                F#

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       A#                 D#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 4]

 

    D#m

No line was cut, no whale was freed;

     G#m                D#m

The Captain's mind was not of greed

    D#m

But he belonged to the whaleman's creed;

     A#                D#m

She took the ship in tow (huh!)

 

[Chorus]

 

 B           F#

Soon may the Wellerman come

    G#m                 D#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

B                F#

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       A#                 D#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 5]

 

     D#m

For forty days, or even more

     G#m                    D#m

The line went slack, then tight once more

     D#m

All boats were lost (there were only four)

      A#                  D#m

But still that whale did go

 

[Chorus]

 

 B           F#

Soon may the Wellerman come

    G#m                 D#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

B                F#

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       A#                 D#m

We'll take our leave and go

 

[Verse 6]

 

   D#m

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

     G#m                     D#m

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

     D#m

The Wellerman makes his regular call

     G#m                    D#m

To encourage the Captain, crew, and all

 

[Chorus]

 

 B           F#

Soon may the Wellerman come

    G#m                 D#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

B                F#

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       A#                 D#m C#

We'll take our leave and go

 

 

 B           F#

Soon may the Wellerman come

    G#m                 D#m

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

B                F#

One day, when the tonguin' is done,

       A#                 D#m

We'll take our leave and go