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