Soon May The Wellerman Come, also known as Wellerman [c. 1860-70] is a well-known sea song.[1][2] Originating from New Zealand, the song frequently refers to the "wellermen", supply ships owned by the Weller Brothers. Its chorus calls for a wellerman to "bring us sugar and tea and rum," reflecting the fact that the Weller brothers were major suppliers of shore whalers. According to the song's listing on the website New Zealand Folk Song, "the workers at these bay-whaling stations (shore whalers) were not paid wages, they were paid in slops (ready made clothing), spirits and tobacco."[1] 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.[2]
| "Soon May the Wellerman Come/Wellerman" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| Written | 1860-1870 |
| Published | 1970s (earliest known) |
| Genre | Sea song, [1][2] Whaling ballad |
| Songwriter(s) | Unknown |
Historical background
The history of whaling in New Zealand stretches from the late-eighteenth century to 1965. In the 1830s, the English-born traders the Weller brothers sold provisions to whalers in New Zealand from their base at Otakou near modern Dunedin. Their employees became known as "wellermen".[1][3]
Synopsis
The song's lyrics describe a whaling ship called the "Billy o' Tea" and its encounters with a right whale. The song describes how the crew hope that "wellerman" (an employee of the Weller brothers, who owned ships that brought provisions to New Zealand whalers) will bring them supplies of luxuries. In the chorus, the crew hope that "soon may the wellerman come, to bring us sugar and tea and rum." In the whaling industry in 19th-century New Zealand, the Weller brothers owned ships that would sell provisions to whaling boats.[3] Subsequent verses detail the captain's determination to bring in the whale in question, even as time passes and multiple whaling boats are lost in the struggle. In the last verse, the narrator describes how the Billy o' Tea is still locked in an ongoing struggle with the whale, with the wellerman making a "regular call" to encourage the captain and crew.
History
The song is believed to have been written in New Zealand around 1860–1870.[3] While its authorship is unknown, it may have been written by a teenage sailor or shore whaler.[4] It was originally collected around 1966 by New Zealand-based music teacher and folk song compiler Neil Colquhoun[5] from one F. R. Woods. Woods, who was in his 80s at the time, had allegedly heard the song, as well as the song "John Smith A.B.", from his uncle. The song "John Smith A.B." was printed in a 1904 issue of The Bulletin, where it was attributed to one D.H. Rogers. It is possible that Rogers was the uncle of Woods and that Woods had worked as a teenaged sailor or shore whaler in the early-mid 19th century, composing both songs in his later years and eventually passing them on to his nephew as an old man.[1] In 1973, "Soon May the Wellerman Come" was included in Colquhoun's book of New Zealand folk songs, New Zealand Folksongs: Songs of a Young Country.[6]
Recordings
The song has been frequently performed and/or remixed, with over 10 recorded renditions between 1967 and 2005. In 1990, the New England-based folk trio of Gordon Bok, Ann Mayo Muir, and Ed Trickett recorded a version on their disc And So Will We Yet, produced by Folk-Legacy Records of Sharon, CT. [7] A particularly well-known rendition of the song was made by the Bristol-based a capella group The Longest Johns on their collection of nautical songs Between Wind and Water in 2018.[8]
Popular culture adaptations and references
The version of the song recorded by The Longest Johns (under the name "Wellerman") went viral on the social media site TikTok in 2021,[8] where it was popularized as a sea shanty despite being more accurately described as a ballad.[4][9] Media sources compared the social isolation of teenage whalers in the nineteenth century to that of young people isolated under Covid-19 lockdown.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d e Archer, John (9 September 2002). "Soon May The Wellerman Come". NZ Folk Song. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Roberts, Randall (January 15, 2021). "Thar she blows up! How sea shanty TikTok took over the internet". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c Asbjørn Jøn, A. (2014). "The Whale Road: Transitioning from Spiritual Links, to Whaling, to Whale Watching in Aotearoa New Zealand". Australian Folklore. 29: 100. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Hunt, Elle (15 January 2021). "The true story behind the viral TikTok sea shanty hit". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ Reid, Graham (2 October 2012). "Neil Colquhoun: Talking Swag (1972)". Elsewhere. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ Colquhoun, Neil (1973). New Zealand Folksongs: Song of a Young Country. Bailey Brothers and Swinfen. p. 10. ISBN 9780561001739. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ Bok, Muir, and Trickett, "Soon May the Wellerman Come (Traditional)" And So Will We Yet (CD-116) (Sharon, CT: Folk-Legacy Records, 1990)
- ^ a b Renner, Rebecca (2021-01-13). "Everyone's Singing Sea Shanties (or Are They Whaling Songs?)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ^ Stokel-Walker, Chris. "A sea shanty expert explains why the song going viral on TikTok isn't actually a sea shanty". Insider. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
External Links
- Notes and Lyrics to Soon May The Wellerman Come On New Zealand Folk Song.