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