VERSE 1:
There [Am] once was a ship that [Am] put to sea
The [Dm] name of the ship was the [Am] Billy of Tea
The [Am] winds blew up, her [Am] bow dipped down
O b-[E]-low, my bully boys, [Am] blow
CHORUS: [F] Soon may the [C] Wellerman come
To [Dm] bring us sugar and [Am] tea and rum [F] One day, when the [C] tonguin' is done
We'll [E] take our leave and [Am] go
VERSE 2: [Am] She'd not been two [Am] weeks from shore
When [Dm] down on her a [Am] right whale bore
The [Am] captain called all [Am] hands and swore
He'd [E] take that whale in [Am] tow, huh
INTERLUDE:[as CHORUS] [F] Da da da-da [C] dat da
Da--[Dm]-da dat da da-da [Am] da dat da [F] Da da da-da [C] dat da
Da-[E]-da dat da dat [Am] da
VERSE 3:
Be-[Am]-fore the boat had [Am] hit the water
The [Dm] wha-le's tail came [Am] up and caught her
All [Am] hands to the side, har-[Am]-pooned and fought her [E] When she dived down [Am] low
VERSE 4:
No [Am] line was cut, no [Am] whale was freed
The [Dm] captain's mind was [Am] not of greed
And [Am] he belonged to the [Am] whaleman's creed
She [E] took that ship in [Am] tow
VERSE 5:
For [Am] forty days, or [Am] even more
The [Dm] line went slack, then [Am] tight once more
All [Am] boats were lost (there were [Am] only four)
But [E] still that whale did [Am] go
VERSE 6:
As [Am] far as I've heard, the [Am] fight's still on
The [Dm] line's not cut and the [Am] whale's not gone
The [Am] Wellerman makes his [Am] regular call
To en-[E]-courage the Captain, [Am] crew, and all
