“The Wellerman”: A Voyage Through Time, Melody, and the High Seas
Sea shanty becomes Tik Tok phenomenon
“The Wellerman”, a sea shanty of New Zealand origin, has been riding a unique wave of resurgence in popularity in recent years, with performances of the song popping up on platforms such as TikTok and Spotify.
A sea shanty is a type of folk song that was typically sung in a call and response style by sailors while performing manual labor aboard ships. The songs often tell tales of life at sea, depicting both its hardships and camaraderie.
Origins and History
The exact origins of “The Wellerman” are somewhat shrouded in mystery, as is common with many folk songs.
The earliest known written record of the song is from New Zealand in the 1860s.
The song is a ballad of the whaling industry in New Zealand, particularly in relation to the Weller Brothers, who were early pioneers in the Otago settlement in southern New Zealand.
They operated a whaling station at a place known as Otakou.
The term “Wellerman” refers to the supply ships that the Weller Brothers sent out to the whaling vessels, carrying supplies like sugar, tea, and rum — hence the lines in the song, “Soon may the Wellerman…
