🎸 Wellerman Ukulele chords by Nathan Evans

Tuning: G C E A (G C E A)

Ukulele chords in the original key for Nathan Evans' Wellerman version from TikTok

The song is in the key of Cm. This arrangement might be more advanced, however this choice
of chords nicely lets ring out open strings on ukulele.


CHORD VOICINGS

  G-C-E-A
C5 0-0-3-3
Fm 1-0-1-3
G5 0-2-3-x
Ab 5-3-4-3
Eb 0-3-3-1

Verse 1:
   C5          C5
There once was a ship that put to sea
  Fm            C5
The name of the ship was the Billy of Tea
  C5         C5
The winds blew up, her bow dipped down
 C5    G5     C5
O blow, my bully boys, blow


Chorus:
Ab      Eb
Soon may the Wellerman come
  Fm         C5
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
Ab        Eb
One day, when the tonguin’ is done
   Eb    G5    C5
We’ll take our leave and go


Verse 2:
C5         C5
She'd not been two weeks from shore
   Fm      C5
When down on her a right whale bore
  C5         C5
The captain called all hands and swore
   C5    G5    C5
He'd take that whale in tow, huh!

Chorus:
Ab      Eb
Soon may the Wellerman come
  Fm         C5
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
Ab        Eb
One day, when the tonguin’ is done
   Eb    G5    C5
We’ll take our leave and go


Interlude:
Ab    Eb
Da da da-da dat da
  Fm       C5
Da-da dat da da-da da dat da
Ab    Eb
Da da da-da dat da
  Eb   G5   C5
Da-da dat da dat da


Verse 3:
 C5         C5
Before the boat had hit the water
  Fm         C5
The wha-le's tail came up and caught her
  C5          C5
All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her
C5    G5     C5
When she dived down low


Chorus:
Ab      Eb
Soon may the Wellerman come
  Fm         C5
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
Ab        Eb
One day, when the tonguin’ is done
   Eb    G5    C5
We’ll take our leave and go


Verse 4:
  C5        C5
No line was cut, no whale was freed
  Fm         C5
The captain's mind was not of greed
  C5         C5
And he belonged to the whaleman's creed
  C5    G5   C5
She took that ship in tow


Chorus:
Ab      Eb
Soon may the Wellerman come
  Fm         C5
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
Ab        Eb
One day, when the tonguin’ is done
   Eb    G5    C5
We’ll take our leave and go


Interlude:
Ab    Eb
Da da da-da dat da
  Fm       C5
Da-da dat da da-da da dat da
Ab    Eb
Da da da-da dat da
  Eb   G5   C5
Da-da dat da dat da


Verse 5:
  C5       C5
For forty days, or even more
  Fm          C5
The line went slack, then tight once more
  C5              C5
All boats were lost (there were only four)
  C5     G5    C5
But still that whale did go


Chorus:
Ab      Eb
Soon may the Wellerman come
  Fm         C5
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
Ab        Eb
One day, when the tonguin’ is done
   Eb    G5    C5
We’ll take our leave and go


Verse 6:
  C5           C5
As far as I've heard, the fight's still on
  Fm           C5
The line's not cut and the whale's not gone
  C5          C5
The Wellerman makes his regular call
   Fm          C5
To encourage the captain, crew, and all


Chorus:
Ab      Eb
Soon may the Wellerman come
  Fm         C5
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
Ab        Eb
One day, when the tonguin’ is done
   Eb    G5    C5
We’ll take our leave and go


Outro:
Ab      Eb
Soon may the Wellerman come
  Fm         C5
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
Ab        Eb
One day, when the tonguin’ is done
   Eb    G5    C5
We’ll take our leave and go