View source for Social:Wellerman

{{Short description|New Zealand folk song}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Soon May the Wellerman Come
| alt           = 
| caption       = 
| type          = song
| recorded      = 1971<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqFMmKXOxE4Various. ''Song of a Young Country''. Kiwi (LP). 1971 ]</ref>
| genre         = Folk
| length        = 
}}
"'''Soon May the Wellerman Come'''", also known as "'''Wellerman'''" or "'''The Wellerman'''", is a folk song in [[Social:Ballad|ballad]] style<ref name="Roberts"/> first published in [[Earth:New Zealand|New Zealand]] in the 1970s. The song refers to the "wellermen", pointing to supply ships owned by the Weller brothers, who were amongst the earliest European settlers of Otago.

In early 2021, a cover by Scottish singer Nathan Evans became a viral hit on the social media site [[Software:TikTok|TikTok]], leading to a "social media craze" around sea shanties and maritime songs.<ref name="Roberts">{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-01-15/sea-shanty-tik-tok-wellerman |title=Thar she blows up! How sea shanty TikTok took over the internet |last=Roberts |first=Randall |work=Los Angeles Times |date=15 January 2021 |access-date=19 January 2021 |archive-date=19 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119073259/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-01-15/sea-shanty-tik-tok-wellerman |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Ahoy">{{cite web |last1=Braae |first1=Alex |title=Ahoy! A sea shanty veteran on why the genre is blowing up on social media |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/14-01-2021/ahoy-a-sea-shanty-veteran-on-why-the-genre-is-blowing-up-on-social-media/ |website=The Spinoff |access-date=25 January 2021 |date=14 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126043908/https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/14-01-2021/ahoy-a-sea-shanty-veteran-on-why-the-genre-is-blowing-up-on-social-media/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctinsider.com/living/ctpost/article/TikTok-s-viral-Wellerman-isn-t-a-real-15997156.php|title=TikTok's viral 'Wellerman' isn't a real shanty — and more facts about maritime songs|date=7 March 2021|first=TinaMarie|last=Craven|work=Connecticut Post|access-date=23 March 2021}}</ref>

==Historical background==
{{Listen
| filename     = Wellerman.wav
| title        = Wellerman
}}
[[File:毛利角 Maori Head - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Nearby Weller's Rock, Otakou]]
[[File:Through DNA fingerprinting that southern right whales are now migrating once again from sub-Antarctic islands to their ancestral calving grounds on the mainland of New Zealand.jpg|thumb|Southern Right Whale, the primally targeted species in shore whaling in New Zealand, rarely appears in Otago waters today.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/the-podcast-hour/audio/2018691547/wild-dunedin-otago-animals |title='Wild Dunedin': Otago animals |author= |date=2019-04-20 |work=Radio New Zealand |access-date=2023-11-12}}</ref>]]
The history of whaling in New Zealand stretches from the late eighteenth century to 1965. In 1831, the British-born Weller brothers Edward, George and Joseph, who had immigrated to [[Place:Sydney|Sydney]] in 1829, founded a whaling station at Otakou near modern [[Place:Dunedin|Dunedin]] in the South Island of New Zealand, seventeen years before Dunedin was established.<ref name="Whale Road">{{cite journal |last1=Asbjørn Jøn |first1=A. |title=The Whale Road: Transitioning from Spiritual Links, to Whaling, to Whale Watching in Aotearoa New Zealand |journal=Australian Folklore |date=2014 |volume=29 |page=99 |url=https://journals.kvasirpublishing.com/af/article/view/192/264 |access-date=20 January 2021 |archive-date=19 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119204852/https://journals.kvasirpublishing.com/af/article/view/192/264 |url-status=live }}</ref> Speaking at centennial celebrations in 1931, New Zealand's Governor General Lord Bledisloe recalled how the Weller brothers had on their voyage to New Zealand "brought in the 'Lucy Ann' (the Weller brothers' [[Engineering:Barque|barque]]) a good deal of rum and a good deal of gunpowder...and some at least were rum characters".<ref name="Whale Road"/> From 1833, the Weller brothers sold provisions to whalers in New Zealand from their base at Otakou, which they had named "Otago" in approximation of the local Māori pronunciation.<ref name="Whale Road"/> Their employees became known as "wellermen".<ref name="folksong">{{cite web|last=Archer|first=John|date=9 September 2002|title=Soon May The Wellerman Come|url=http://folksong.org.nz/soon_may_the_wellerman/index.html|access-date=15 January 2021|work=NZ Folk Song|archive-date=14 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114163440/http://www.folksong.org.nz/soon_may_the_wellerman/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Whale Road"/> Unlike whaling in the Atlantic and northern Pacific, whalers in New Zealand practised shore-based whaling which required them to process the whale carcasses on land.<ref name="stevens">{{cite web |last1=Stevens |first1=Kate |title=The viral 'Wellerman' sea shanty is also a window into the remarkable cross-cultural whaling history of Aotearoa New Zealand |url=https://theconversation.com/the-viral-wellerman-sea-shanty-is-also-a-window-into-the-remarkable-cross-cultural-whaling-history-of-aotearoa-new-zealand-153634 |website=The Conversation |access-date=25 January 2021 |date=22 January 2021 |archive-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125122956/https://theconversation.com/the-viral-wellerman-sea-shanty-is-also-a-window-into-the-remarkable-cross-cultural-whaling-history-of-aotearoa-new-zealand-153634 |url-status=live }}</ref> The industry drew whalers to New Zealand from a diverse range of backgrounds encompassing not just the British Isles but also Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Pacific Islanders and Indigenous Australians.<ref name="stevens"/> The whalers depended on good relations with the local Māori people and the whaling industry integrated Māori into the global economy and produced hundreds of intermarriages between whalers and local Māori, including Edward Weller himself, who was twice married to Māori women,<ref name="stevens"/> thus linking the Wellers to one of the most prominent local Māori families, the Ellisons.

At its peak in 1834, the Otakou station was producing 310 tons of [[Earth:Whale oil|whale oil]] a year<ref name="Whale Road"/> and became the centre of a network of seven stations that formed a highly profitable enterprise for the Wellers, employing as many as 85 people at Otago alone.<ref name="Edward">{{Cite web |last=Entwisle |first=Peter |title=Weller, Edward |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1w13/weller-edward |work=[[Dictionary of New Zealand Biography]] |publisher=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand| The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |date=1990 |access-date=9 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=11 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111002842/https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1w13/weller-edward |url-status=live }}</ref> From the Otakou base the Wellers branched out into industries as diverse as "timber, spars, flax, potatoes, dried fish, Māori artefacts, and even tattooed Māori heads which were in keen demand in Sydney".<ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Ronald |title=An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/weller-brothers-edward-george-and-joseph |website=An Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966 |access-date=25 January 2021 |date=1966 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126183558/https://teara.govt.nz/en/1966/weller-brothers-edward-george-and-joseph |url-status=live }}</ref> However, given that the Colony of New Zealand would not be declared until 1840, the Wellers were treated as foreign traders and were affected by protectionist British import tariffs on whale oil.<ref name="Edward"/> By 1835, the year that Joseph Weller died in Otago, the brothers became convinced of the need to abandon the station even as they branched out into massive land purchases in New Zealand, which amounted to nearly {{convert|3|e6acre}} by 1840.<ref name="encyclopedia"/> The Weller brothers' success in the whaling industry was fleeting, and they were declared bankrupt in 1840 after failed attempts at large-scale land purchase in New South Wales.<ref name="Edward"/> The Otakou station closed in 1841.<ref name="Whale Road"/> In 1841, the Court of Claims in New South Wales ruled that the Weller brothers' purchases of land in New Zealand were legally invalid, after which the Wellers "slipped unobtrusively out of the pages of New Zealand history".<ref name="encyclopedia"/> Commercial whaling in New Zealand continued until the 1960s.

==Synopsis==
The song's lyrics describe a whaling ship called the ''[[Engineering:Billycan|Billy]] o' Tea'' and its hunt for a [[Biology:Right whale|right whale]]. The song describes how the ship's crew hope for a "wellerman" to arrive and bring them supplies of luxuries.

{{Quote box
| quote = "Soon may the Wellerman come<br />
To bring us sugar and tea and rum<br />
One day, when the tonguin' is done<br />
We'll take our leave and go"<br />
| source = "Wellerman" chorus
}}

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."<ref name="folksong" /> 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.<ref name="stevens"/> 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.

==History==
{{Cite check section
|talk=History:_Cite_check/Verfiability_concern
|reason=www.folksong.org.nz<ref name="folksong" /> seems to be only source (direct and indirect) and is characterized in<ref name=ElleHuntGuardian>{{cite web |last1=Hunt |first1=Elle |title=The true story behind the viral TikTok sea shanty hit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/shantytok-how-a-19th-century-seafaring-epic-inspired-a-covid-generation |website=The Guardian |access-date=16 January 2021 |date=15 January 2021 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115194639/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/15/shantytok-how-a-19th-century-seafaring-epic-inspired-a-covid-generation |url-status=live }}</ref> as 'Google "guesswork"'|date=February 2021}}
New Zealand–based music teacher and folk music compiler Neil Colquhoun claimed to have collected the song around 1966<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid |first=Graham |url=https://www.elsewhere.co.nz/fromthevaults/5262/neil-colquhoun-talking-swag-1972/ |title=Neil Colquhoun: Talking Swag (1972) |website=Elsewhere |date=2 October 2012 |access-date=15 January 2021 |language=en |archive-date=21 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121215717/https://www.elsewhere.co.nz/fromthevaults/5262/neil-colquhoun-talking-swag-1972/ |url-status=live }}</ref> from one F. R. Woods. Woods, who was in his 80s at the time, had allegedly heard the song, as well as the song "John Smith A.B.", from his uncle. The song "John Smith A.B." was printed in a 1904 issue of ''The Bulletin'', where it was attributed to one D.H. Rogers. David Hunter Rogers was a first-generation Scottish immigrant who worked in the Union Company beginning in 1880; Wellerman does not resemble "John Smith A.B." or his other published poems.<ref name="folksong" /> {{Unreliable source?|date=June 2022}} In 1973, "Soon May the Wellerman Come" was included in Colquhoun's book of New Zealand folk songs, ''New Zealand Folksongs: Songs of a Young Country''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Colquhoun |first1=Neil |title=New Zealand Folksongs: Song of a Young Country |date=1973 |publisher=Bailey Brothers and Swinfen |isbn=9780561001739 |page=10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7bI7AQAAIAAJ |access-date=16 January 2021 |archive-date=29 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129223249/https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/New_Zealand_Folksongs/7bI7AQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Recordings==
The song has been frequently performed and remixed, with over 10 recorded renditions between 1971 and 2005.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} In 1990, the New England–based folk trio of Gordon Bok, Ann Mayo Muir, and Ed Trickett recorded and released a version on their studio album ''And So Will We Yet,'' produced by Folk-Legacy Records of Sharon, Connecticut.<ref>Bok, Muir, and Trickett, "Soon May the Wellerman Come (Traditional)". ''And So Will We Yet'' (CD-116) (Sharon, Connecticut: Folk-Legacy Records, 1990)</ref>{{primary sources|reason=notability?|date=March 2021}} 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''.<ref name="Ahoy"/> A particularly well-known rendition of the song was made by the Bristol-based a cappella musical group the Longest Johns on their collection of nautical songs ''Between Wind and Water'' in 2018.<ref name="Renner">{{Cite news|last=Renner|first=Rebecca|date=13 January 2021|title=Everyone's Singing Sea Shanties (or Are They Whaling Songs?)|language=en-US|work={{wipe|The New York Times}}|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/style/sea-shanty-tiktok-wellerman.html|access-date=15 January 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115001528/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/style/sea-shanty-tiktok-wellerman.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the wake of the "ShantyTok" social media sensation in 2021, Wellington Sea Shanty Society member Lake Davineer remarked that their recording had experienced a new burst of popularity.<ref name="Ahoy"/> 
In 2021, two pirate metal bands covered "Wellerman"; Alestorm and Storm Seeker.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Wellerman |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vemRdfD1dLo |website=YouTube |publisher=Napalm Records |access-date=12 September 2022}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/krCvFULcT-A Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20210326190246/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krCvFULcT-A Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krCvFULcT-A| title = Storm Seeker - Wellerman (Sea Shanty Folk Session) | website=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In December 2023, a new version of the song was recorded for the trailer for the upcoming action-adventure game ''[[Software:Skull and Bones (video game)|Skull and Bones]].{{CN|date=December 2023}}

==Popular culture adaptations and references==
===The Longest Johns version===
{{Infobox song
| name          = Wellerman
| cover         = Wellermanlongestjohns.jpg
| alt           = 
| type          = song
| artist        = the Longest Johns
| album         = Between Wind and Water
| released      = June 8, 2018
| recorded      = 
| studio        = 
| genre         = [[Social:Folk music|Folk]]
| length        = 2:18
| label         = Decca
| writer        = 
| producer      = The Longest Johns
| misc          = 
}}

The version of the song recorded by British folk group the Longest Johns (under the name "Wellerman") features as the third track on the group's second studio album, ''Between Wind and Water'' (2018). A remix of the song was released on January 12, 2021.<ref name="Renner" /><ref name="ElleHuntGuardian" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Stokel-Walker |first1=Chris |title=A sea shanty expert explains why the song going viral on TikTok isn't actually a sea shanty |url=https://www.insider.com/sea-shanty-tiktok-the-wellerman-isnt-actually-a-sea-shanty-2021-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207185925/https://www.insider.com/sea-shanty-tiktok-the-wellerman-isnt-actually-a-sea-shanty-2021-1 |archive-date=7 February 2021 |access-date=16 January 2021 |website=Insider}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2021)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Canadian Digital Songs (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-canada-digital-song-sales/2021-01-30|title=Canadian Digital Song Sales Chart – January 30, 2021|magazine=Billboard|access-date=27 January 2021|archive-date=5 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205112519/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-canada-digital-song-sales/2021-01-30|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 38
|-
|}

===Nathan Evans version===
{{Infobox song
| name       = Wellerman (Sea Shanty)
| cover      = Nathan Evans - Wellerman.png
| alt        = 
| type       = single
| artist     = Nathan Evans
| album      = 
| released   = January 22, 2021<ref name="evansapple"/>
| studio     = 
| recorded   = 
| genre      = [[Social:Folk music|Folk]], pop
| length     = 2:35
| label      = Polydor
| writer     = 
| producer   = Saltwives
| next_title = Told You So
| next_year  = 2021
| misc       = 
{{External music video|{{YouTube|qP-7GNoDJ5c|"Wellerman" (music video)}}
| type   = single
| header = Videos
}}
}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Wellerman (220 Kid x Billen Ted Remix)
| cover      = Wellerman-Nathan-Evans-220KID-Billen-Ted-Remix.jpg
| alt        = 
| type       = single
| artist     = Nathan Evans
| album      = 
| released   = January 22, 2021
| studio     = 
| recorded   = 
| genre      = Deep house, pop, electronic
| length     = 1:56
| label      = Polydor
| writer     = {{hlist|Nathan Evans|Alexander Oriet|David Phelan|William Graydon|Samuel Brennan|Tom Hollings}}
| producer   = {{hlist|220 Kid|Billen Ted}}
| prev_title = Throw It Away
| prev_year  = 2020
| next_title = 
| next_year  = 
| misc       = {{Extra chronology
| artist     = 220 Kid
| type       = single
| prev_title = Too Many Nights
| prev_year  = 2020
| title      = Wellerman (220 KID x Billen Ted Remix)
| year       = 2021
| next_title = Unconditional
| next_year  = 2021
}}
{{Extra chronology
| artist     = Billen Ted
| type       = single
| prev_title = Satisfied
| prev_year  = 2020
| title      = Wellerman (220 KID x Billen Ted)
| year       = 2021
| next_title = 
| next_year  = 
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|M26V1IWAP-E|"Wellerman" (220KID x Billen Ted Remix music video}}}}
}}

A version by Scottish musician Nathan Evans further increased the song's exposure. Popularized as a sea shanty despite being more accurately described as a ballad (or specifically a ''forebitter'' or ''sea song''), there was a surge in interest in sea shanties and a multitude of remixes and new versions. Evans's version has been praised for its "authentic sense of stoic forbearance" that has appealed to young people in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, who like 19th-century whalers "are similarly marking time". In the ''Rolling Stone'' article discussing his success, Evans cited the Albany Shantymen version of the song as inspiration.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Browne|first=David|date=26 January 2021|title=Sea Shanty Sensation Nathan Evans: 'I'm an Actual Musician'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/sea-shanty-nathan-evans-tiktok-record-deal-1118686/|access-date=30 March 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref> &nbsp;Because of its origins on [[Software:TikTok|TikTok]], the trend of performing sea shanties like "Soon May the Wellerman Come" on social media has been called "ShantyTok".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Taylor|first=Alex|date=22 January 2021|title=Sea shanty: Can viral success make a music career?|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55768333|url-status=live|access-date=23 January 2021|archive-date=22 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122195934/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55768333}}</ref> The song, jointly credited to Nathan Evans and remixers 220 Kid and Billen Ted by the Official Charts Company (OCC), reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nathan Evans, 220 Kid & Billen Ted {{!}} full Official Chart History |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/59389/nathan-evans-220kid-billen-ted/ |website=Official Charts Company |access-date=20 March 2021}}</ref> A new version of "Wellerman" with German folk band Santiano was released as a single on 19 February 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mdr.de/meine-schlagerwelt/santiano-nathan-evans-shanty-wellerman-100.html |title=Santiano veröffentlichen Seemanns-Shanty "Wellerman" mit Nathan Evans |trans-title=Santiano releases sea shanty "Wellerman" with Nathan Evans |date=16 February 2021 |publisher=Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk |language=de |access-date=17 February 2021}}</ref> This version was included on the track listing of Santiano's EP ''Sea Shanties – Wellerman'', which was released digitally on 26 February 2021.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/sea-shanty-wellerman-ep/1554545871 |title=Sea Shanty – Wellerman – EP by Santiano on Apple Music |date=26 February 2021 |publisher=[[Software:Apple Music|Apple Music]] |access-date=5 March 2021}}</ref>

In February 2021, Evans, 220 Kid, and Billen Ted performed the song for the CBBC television programme ''Blue Peter''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl3E_5tVWZg |title=Nathan Evans – Wellerman VIDEO (220 KID & Billen Ted TikTok Remix) {{!}} Blue Peter |publisher=CBBC |via=YouTube |date=4 February 2021 |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref> In March 2021, Evans performed the song for the "End of the Show Show" segment on ''Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'', "Soon When the Saturday Come" along with the programme's presenters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/14/ant-and-dec-create-epic-sea-shanty-on-saturday-night-takeaway-14240403/ |title=Ant and Dec create epic sea shanty with Queen's Brian May on Saturday Night Takeaway |date=14 March 2021 |first=Harry |last=Fletcher |newspaper=Metro |access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref> The performance included altered lyrics for the occasion and was accompanied by video footage of sing-alongs by celebrities, including Joan Collins, Josh Groban, Laura Whitmore and Dermot O'Leary.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/scot-nathan-evans-closes-ant-23711500 |title=Scot Nathan Evans closes Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway with huge celeb Sea shanty |date=13 March 2021 |first=Kirsten |last=McStay |newspaper=Daily Record |access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref> Crew members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, including those from Portishead and Sheringham, also submitted video for the performance, and Queen guitarist Brian May provided a guitar solo.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1410007/Brian-May-Wellerman-sea-shanty-Nathan-Evans-Ant-and-Dec-Queen-guitarist |title=Brian May performs Wellerman sea shanty with Nathan Evans: Wants 'serious' team up – WATCH |date=15 March 2021 |first=George |last=Simpson |newspaper=Daily Express |access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/portishead-lifeboat-crew-appear-ant-5178080 |title=Portishead lifeboat crew appear on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway |date=15 March 2021 |first=Heather |last=Pickstock |newspaper=Bristol Post |access-date=15 March 2021}}</ref> In the seven countries where the remix has reached the top of the record charts, 200 [[Finance:Non-fungible token|non-fungible token]]s were sold, which each include a new dance track, digital art, and a password redeemable for a future asset, with part of their proceeds going to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and a scholarship by 220 Kid.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/viral-sea-shanty-hit-the-wellerman-to-be-sold-as-nfts-2926101 |title=Viral sea shanty hit 'The Wellerman' to be sold as NFTs |date=22 April 2021 |first=Will |last=Richard |newspaper=NME |access-date=23 April 2021}}</ref>

The version sparked multiple parodies, both on and off TikTok, including a Taylor Swift hit sung to the tune of Evans' version of "Wellerman"  performed by the United States Navy Band, a Roman Catholic priest who changed the shanty's lyrics to explain Ash Wednesday, and a parody called ''Waiting for the [[Medicine:COVID-19 vaccine|Vaccine]]'' by Rainer Hersch.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Overdeep |first=Meghan |date=2 February 2021 |title=Watch the U.S. Navy Band Perform a "Sea Shanty Parody" of a Popular Taylor Swift Song |url=https://www.southernliving.com/news/u-s-navy-band-taylor-swift-sea-shanty |access-date=12 August 2022 |magazine=Southern Living}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Burke |first=Jennifer |date=5 March 2021 |title=Auburn priest's TikTok-style Lenten sea shanty is popular online |url=https://catholiccourier.com/articles/categories-special-sections-auburn-priests-tiktok-style-lenten-sea-shanty-is-popular/ |access-date=12 August 2022 |newspaper=Catholic Courier}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |url=https://twitter.com/rainerhersch/status/1400248643391823872 |number=1400248643391823872 |title=A vaccine sea shanty |access-date=12 March 2023 |user=rainerhersch}}</ref>

In 2022, the Seattle Mariners used the 220 Kid and Billen Ted remix of the Evans track as a rally song for attendees at T-Mobile Park.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mariners Rally Song: Wellerman Sea Shanty |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=2TPbMjPCnoM |website=YouTube |access-date=28 February 2023}}</ref>

====Track listings====
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital download<ref name="evansapple">{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-single/1550191440 |title=Wellerman (Sea Shanty) – Single by Nathan Evans |date=21 January 2021 |publisher=[[Software:Apple Music|Apple Music]] |access-date=28 January 2021 |archive-date=22 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122223700/https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-single/1550191440 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| title1  = Wellerman (Sea Shanty)
| length1 = 2:35
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital download – karaoke version<ref>{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-sea-shanty-karaoke-version-single/1552223419 |title=Wellerman (Sea Shanty / Karaoke Version) – Single by Nathan Evans |date=20 January 2021 |publisher=Apple Music |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref>
| title1   = Wellerman
| note1    = Sea Shanty / karaoke version
| length1  = 2:34
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital download – 220 Kid x Billen Ted remix<ref>{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-sea-shanty-220-kid-x-billen-ted-remix-single/1550182794 |title=Wellerman (Sea Shanty / 220 KID x Billen Ted Remix) – Single by Nathan Evans, 220 KID & Billen Ted |date=21 January 2021 |publisher=Apple Music |access-date=23 January 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126101358/https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-sea-shanty-220-kid-x-billen-ted-remix-single/1550182794 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| title1   = Wellerman
| note1    = Sea Shanty / 220 Kid x Billen Ted remix
| length1  = 1:56
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital download – 220 Kid x Billen Ted remix karaoke version<ref>{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-sea-shanty-220-kid-x-billen-ted-remix-karaoke/1552250002 |title=Wellerman (Sea Shanty / 220 KID x Billen Ted Remix) [Karaoke Version] – Single by Nathan Evans, 220 KID & Billen Ted |date=20 January 2021 |publisher=Apple Music |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref>
| title1   = Wellerman
| note1    = Sea Shanty / 220 Kid x Billen Ted remix / karaoke version
| length1  = 1:57
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital download – Argules version<ref>{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-sea-shanty-nathan-evans-x-argules-single/1554076559 |title=Wellerman (Sea Shanty / Nathan Evans x ARGULES) – Single by Nathan Evans & ARGULES |date=18 February 2021 |publisher=Apple Music |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref>
| title1   = Wellerman
| note1    = Sea Shanty / Nathan Evans x Argules
| length1  = 1:47
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital download – The Kiffness remix<ref>{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-sea-shanty-the-kiffness-remix-single/1552729653 |title=Wellerman (Sea Shanty / The Kiffness Remix) – Single by Nathan Evans |date=4 February 2021 |publisher=Apple Music |access-date=21 February 2021}}</ref>
| title1   = Wellerman
| note1    = Sea Shanty / The Kiffness remix
| length1  = 3:03
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Digital download – Santiano version<ref>{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/wellerman-single/1553794829 |title=Wellerman – Single by Santiano & Nathan Evans |date=19 February 2021 |publisher=Apple Music |access-date=19 February 2021}}</ref>
| title1   = Wellerman
| note1    = with Santiano
| length1  = 3:11
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = CD maxi single<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.weltbild.de/artikel/musik/wellerman-sea-shanty-maxi-cd_34412370-1 |title=Wellerman (Sea Shanty) (Maxi-CD) |publisher=Weltbild Publishing Group |language=de |access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref>
| title1   = Wellerman
| note1    = Sea Shanty
| length1  = 2:36
| title2   = Wellerman
| note2    = Sea Shanty / 220 Kid x Billen Ted remix
| length2  = 1:57
| title3   = Wellerman
| length3  = 3:11
| note3    = with Santiano
}}

====Personnel====
Credits adapted from Discogs.<ref>{{Discogs release|17350498|Wellerman|type=single}}</ref>
* Saltwives – producer, engineer, studio personnel
* Alex Oriet 
* David Phelan
* Nathan Evans – associated performer, vocals
* Samuel Brannan
* Tom Hollings
* William Graydon
* Mike Hillier – mastering engineer, studio personnel
* James Reynolds – mixer, studio personnel

====Charts====
{{col-begin|width=75%}}
{{col-2}}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for "Wellerman"
! scope="col"| Chart (2021)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The ARIA Top 100 (Week Commencing 8 March 2021) |page=4 |magazine=The ARIA Report |issue=1618 |publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association |date=8 March 2021}}</ref>
| 62
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)<ref>{{cite magazine |date=27 March 2021 |title=Billboard Canadian Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/canadian-hot-100/2021-03-27 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=23 March 2021}}</ref>
| 54
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Denmark (Hitlisten)<ref>{{cite web |title=Track Top-40 (Week 11, 2021) |language=da |url=https://hitlisten.nu/default.asp?w=11&y=2021&list=t40 |publisher=Hitlisten |access-date=24 March 2021}}</ref>
| 10
|-
! scope="row"| Finland (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref>{{cite web |title=Singles (Week 12, 2021) |language=fi |url=https://www.ifpi.fi/lista/singlet/2021/12/ |publisher=Musiikkituottajat |access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref>
| 6
|-
! scope="row"| France (SNEP)<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Singles (Week 17, 2021) |language=fr |url=https://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-la-semaine/top-albums/?semaine=17?&annee=2021&categorie=Top%20Singles |publisher=SNEP |access-date=3 May 2021}}</ref>
| 36
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Germany Airplay (BVMI)<ref>{{cite web |title=Airplay Charts Germany (Week 16, 2021) |language=de |url=https://germancharts.de/airplay_charts.asp?week=202116 |website=GermanCharts.de |publisher=Hung Medien & MusicTrace on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie |access-date=22 January 2023}}</ref>
| 2
|-
! scope="row"| Global 200 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |date=6 March 2021 |title=Billboard Global 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-global-200/2021-03-06 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=3 March 2021}}</ref>
| 16
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Iceland (Music of Iceland)<ref>{{cite web |title=The Music – Songs (Week 11, 12–18 March 2021) |language=is |url=http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/ |publisher=Music of Iceland |access-date=4 July 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325060606/http://plotutidindi.is/lagalistinn/ |archive-date=25 March 2021}}</ref>
| 19
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Latvia (European Hit Radio)<ref>{{cite web |date=2 April 2021 |title=EHR Top 40 |language=lv |url=https://www.ehrhiti.lv/arhivs/ehr-top-40?airDate=2021.04.02 |publisher=European Hit Radio |access-date=30 August 2021}}</ref>
| 1
|-
! scope="row" | Lithuania (AGATA)<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 100 Singles (Week 8, February 19–25 2021) |language=lt |url=https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/8s/ |publisher=AGATA |date=26 February 2021 |access-date=27 March 2021}}</ref>
| 12
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web |date=1 February 2021 |title=NZ Hot Singles Chart |url=https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/hotsingles?chart=5014 |publisher=Recorded Music NZ |access-date=30 January 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129211139/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/hotsingles?chart=5014 |archive-date=29 January 2021}}</ref>
| 39
|-
! scope="row"| Norway (VG-lista)<ref>{{cite web |title=Singles (Week 10, 2021) |language=no |url=https://topplista.no/charts/singles/2021-w10/ |publisher=VG-lista |access-date=12 March 2021}}</ref>
| 1
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Romania (Airplay 100)<ref>{{cite news |last=Arvunescu |first=Victor |date=10 May 2021 |title=Top Airplay 100 |language=ro |url=https://www.unsitedemuzica.ro/topuri/Top-Airplay-100-Piesa-asta-o-sa-te-prinda-si-pe-tine-p12668 |website=UnSiteDeMuzica.ro |access-date=10 May 2021}}</ref>
| 81
|-
|-
! scope="row"| Slovakia (Singles Digital Top 100)<ref>{{cite web |title=CZ Singles Digital - Top 100 (Week 24, 2021) |language=cs |url=https://ifpicr.cz/hitparada/30?weekId=2712 |publisher=Czech national group of the IFPI |access-date=26 April 2021}}</ref>
| 13
|-
! scope="row"| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{cite web |title=Weekly Singles List, (Week 8, 2021) |language=sv |url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/41?dspy=2021&dspp=8 |publisher=Sverigetopplistan |access-date=26 February 2021}}</ref>
| 9
|-
|-
|-
|-
! scope="row"| US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |date=20 March 2021 |title=Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/bubbling-under-hot-100-singles/2021-03-20 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=16 March 2021}}</ref>
| 16
|-
! scope="row"| US Digital Songs (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |date=6 February 2021 |title=Digital Song Sales Chart |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/digital-song-sales/2021-02-06 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=14 February 2021}}</ref>
| 4 
|}
{{col-2}}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2021 year-end chart performance for "Wellerman"
! scope="col"| Chart (2021)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual singles charts 2021 |date=8 November 2019 |language=de |url=https://oe3.orf.at/charts/stories/3020713/ |publisher=OE3 Austria Top 40 |access-date=2 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101195812/https://oe3.orf.at/charts/stories/3020713/ |archive-date=1 January 2022}}</ref>
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual overviews 2021 |language=nl |url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=2021 |publisher=Ultratop |access-date=5 January 2022}}</ref>
| 14
|-
! scope="row"| Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual reports 2021 |language=fr |url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=2021 |publisher=Ultratop |access-date=5 January 2022}}</ref>
| 91
|-
! scope="row"| Denmark (Tracklisten)<ref>{{cite web |title=Top-Track 100 2021 |language=da |url=https://hitlisten.nu/top2021.asp?list=Track%20100 |publisher=Hitlisten |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref>
| 40
|-
! scope="row"| France (SNEP)<ref>{{cite web |title=Best of the Year - Top Singles 2021 |language=fr |url=https://snepmusique.com/les-tops/le-top-de-lannee/top-singles-annee/?categorie=Top%20Single%20de%20l%E2%80%99ann%C3%A9e&annee=2021 |publisher=SNEP |access-date=15 April 2022}}</ref>
| 104
|-
! scope="row"| Germany (Official German Charts)<ref>{{cite web |date=10 December 2021 |title=Official German Annual Charts - "Wellerman" is the most successful hit in 2021, ABBA wins the albums |language=de |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/news/item/1026-offizielle-deutsche-jahrescharts-wellerman-ist-erfolgreichster-hit-2021-abba-siegen-bei-den-alben |publisher=GfK Entertainment charts |access-date=10 December 2021}}</ref>
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| Global 200 (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Year-End 2021 - Billboard Global 200 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2021/billboard-global-200/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref>
| 66
|-
! scope="row"| Hungary (Radio Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Radio Top 100 2021 - based on audience data |language=hu |url=https://slagerlistak.hu/archivum/eves-osszesitett-listak/radios/2021 |publisher=MAHASZ |access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref>
| 16
|-
! scope="row"| Hungary (Single Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Single Top 100 2021 – based on the number of units sold |language=hu |url=https://slagerlistak.hu/archivum/eves-osszesitett-listak/single_db/2021 |publisher=MAHASZ |access-date=1 February 2022}}</ref>
| 30
|-
! scope="row"| Hungary (Stream Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Stream Top 100 - by quantity - 2021 |language=hu |url=https://slagerlistak.hu/archivum/eves-osszesitett-listak/stream_db/2021 |publisher=MAHASZ |access-date=1 February 2022}}</ref>
| 19
|-
! scope="row"| Ireland (IRMA)<ref>{{cite web |last=Griffiths |first=George |date=9 January 2022 |title=Ireland's official biggest songs of 2021 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/irelands-official-biggest-singles-of-2021-revealed__34917/ |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=9 January 2022}}</ref>
| 35
|-
! scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 100 Annual Review of 2021 |language=nl |url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/2021 |publisher=Dutch Top 40 |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>
| 17
|-
! scope="row"| Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual overviews – Single 2021 |language=nl |url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=2021&cat=s |publisher=MegaCharts |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>
| 12
|-
! scope="row"| Norway (VG-lista)<ref>{{cite web |date=3 December 2019 |title=Topplista – Annual list - Single 2021 |language=no |url=https://ifpi.no/topplista/ |publisher=IFPI Norway |access-date=26 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131175008/https://ifpi.no/topplista/ |archive-date=31 January 2022}}</ref>
| 12
|-
! scope="row"| Poland (ZPAV)<ref>{{cite web |title=Airplay Top 100 in 2021 |language=pl |url=http://bestsellery.zpav.pl/aktualnosci.php?idaktualnosci=2001 |publisher=Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry |access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>
| 59
|-
! scope="row"| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Singles List, 2021 |language=sv |url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/43?dspy=2021&dspp=1 |publisher=Sverigetopplistan |access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref>
| 25
|-
! scope="row"| Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web |title=Swiss Annual Hitparade 2021 |language=de |url=https://hitparade.ch/charts/jahreshitparade/2021 |website=Swiss Hitparade |access-date=26 December 2021}}</ref>
| 1
|-
! scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC)<ref>{{cite web |last=Griffiths |first=George |date=4 January 2022 |title=The Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2021 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-official-top-40-biggest-songs-of-2021__34857/ |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>
| 11
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ 2022 year-end chart performance for "Wellerman"
! scope="col"| Chart (2022)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Singles Charts 2022 |date=8 November 2019 |language=de |url=https://oe3.orf.at/charts/stories/3010525/ |publisher=Ö3 Austria Top 40 |access-date=2 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102170841/https://oe3.orf.at/charts/stories/3010525/ |archive-date=2 January 2023}}</ref>
| 26
|-
! scope="row"| Germany (Official German Charts)<ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Charts 2022 |language=de |url=https://www.mtv.de/info/l2mzw3/jahrescharts-2022 |publisher=GfK Entertainment charts |access-date=16 December 2022}}</ref>
| 32
|-
! scope="row"| Global Excl. US (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Year-End 2022 - Billboard Global Excl. U.S. |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2022/billboard-global-excl-us/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=3 December 2022}}</ref>
| 189
|-
! scope="row"| Switzerland (Swiss Hitparade)<ref>{{cite web |title=Swiss Annual Hitparade 2022 |language=de |url=https://hitparade.ch/charts/jahreshitparade/2022 |website=Swiss Hitparade |access-date=27 December 2022}}</ref>
| 31
|}
{{col-end}}

====Certifications====
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Nathan Evans|title=Wellerman (220 Kid & Billen Ted Remix)|award=Gold|type=single|relyear=2021|certyear=2024|id=nathan-evans-wellerman-220-kid-billen-ted-remix|access-date=12 January 2024|certref=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elportaldemusica.es/awards/index?AwardsSearch%5Bartist%5D=NATHAN+EVANS+%2F+220+KID+%2F+BILLEN+TED&AwardsSearch%5Btitle%5D=WELLERMAN&AwardsSearch%5Byear%5D=&AwardsSearch%5Bweek%5D=&AwardsSearch%5Bgroup%5D=CANCIONES&AwardsSearch%5Baward%5D=|title=Spanish single certifications – Nathan Evans / 220 Kid / Billen Ted – Wellerman|website=El portal de Música|publisher=Productores de Música de España|access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|nosales=true|streaming=true|streamsonly=true}}

In April 2022, Evans helped publicise the ''Doctor Who'' story ''Legend of the Sea Devils'' with an adaptation of "Wellerman".<ref>{{cite news |date=13 April 2022 |title=Nathan Evans - Wellerman (Sea Devils Version) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsj7XxXYSDw |work=Doctor Who channel |publisher=YouTube |access-date=16 April 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
*List of number-one hits of 2021 (Austria)
*List of Ultratop 50 number-one singles of 2021
*List of number-one hits of 2021 (Germany)
*List of number-one singles of the 2020s (Hungary)
*List of top 10 singles in 2021 (Ireland)
*List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 2021
*List of number-one songs in Norway
*List of number-one hits of 2021 (Switzerland)
*List of Official Audio Streaming Chart number ones of the 2020s
*List of UK Dance Singles Chart number ones of 2021
*List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 2020s
*List of UK Singles Downloads Chart number ones of the 2020s
*List of UK top-ten singles in 2021
*Lightning Tree song

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*Notes and Lyrics to [http://www.folksong.org.nz/soon_may_the_wellerman/index.html Soon May The Wellerman Come] On New Zealand Folk Song.
*Wellerman adapted to explain the Palestine situation. [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/instagram-sea-shanty-palestine-b1851455.html History of Palestine Shanty] on the Independent May 2021.(video)


[[Category:Folklore]]

{{Sourceattribution|Wellerman}}