"Soon May the Wellerman Come", also known as "Wellerman" or "The Wellerman", is a sea ballad from New Zealand first documented in the 1960s. The song refers to the "wellermen", pointing to supply ships owned by the Weller brothers, who were amongst the earliest European settlers of Otago.

The song's lyrics describe a whaling ship called the Billy o' Tea and its hunt for a right whale. The song describes how the ship's crew hope for a "wellerman" to arrive and bring them supplies of luxuries. 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." The chorus continues with the crew singing of their confidence that the "tonguin'" will be the last step of their plight. Tonguing in this context refers to the practice of cutting strips of whale blubber to render into oil. Subsequent verses detail the captain's determination to bring in the whale in question, even as time passes and the quartet of whaling boats is lost in the fight. In the last verse, the narrator conveys how the Billy o' Tea is still considered locked in an ongoing struggle with the whale, with the wellerman making "his regular call" to strengthen the captain and crew.

The first two verses of the sea ballad go like this:

There once was a ship that put to sea
The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea
The winds blew up, her bow dipped down
Oh blow, my bully boys, blow (huh)

Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguing is done
We’ll take our leave and go

Throughout the past few decades, “The Wellerman” has been recorded many times. In 1990, the New England-based folk trio Gordon Bok, Ann Mayo Muir, and Ed Trickett recorded a version on their LP, And So Will We Yet

In 2013, the Wellington Sea Shanty Society released a version of the song on their album, Now That’s What I Call Sea Shanties Vol. 1.

In 2018, the Bristol-based a cappella group, The Longest Johns, released a version of it on their album, Between Wind and Water.

In 2021, on the heels of “ShantyTok,” Wellington Sea Shanty Society member Lake Davineer explained that their recording had experienced a new moment of popularity.

Also in 2021, German Pirate Metal band Storm Seeker covered the song.

Here’s the lyric:

Wellerman - The Longest Johns

There once was a ship that put to sea
And the name of that ship was the Billy o' Tea
The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down
Blow, me bully boys, blow (Hah!)

[Chorus]
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

[Verse 2]
She had not been two weeks from shore

When down on her, a right whale bore
The captain called all hands and swore
He'd take that whale in tow (Hah!)

[Chorus]
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

[Verse 3]
Before the boat had hit the water
The whale's tail came up and caught her
All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her

When she dived down below (Huh!)

[Chorus]
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

[Verse 4]
No line was cut, no whale was freed
The Captain's mind was not on greed
But he belonged to the whaleman's creed
She took that ship in tow (Huh!)

[Chorus]
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

[Verse 5]
For forty days, or even more
The line went slack, then tight once more
All boats were lost, there were only four
But still that whale did go

[Chorus]
Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

[Verse 6]
As far as I've heard, the fight's still on
The line's not cut and the whale's not gone
The Wellerman makes his a regular call
To encourage the Captain, crew, and all

[Chorus]
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done

We'll take our leave and go
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wellerman

americansongwriter.com/meaning-of-the-wellerman-sea-shanty-song-lyrics/)