Although Rouen was not a seaport, many sailors gathered there, and on the other side of the Old Market Square stood an inn called la corne d'abondance, from which joyous singing drifted out.
There once was a ship that put to sea,
And the name of that ship was the Billy o' Tea,
The winds blew up , her bow dipped down,
Blow my bully boys blow(Huh!),
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,
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(Huh!),
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,
Before that 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!),
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,
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!),
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,
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,
Soon may the Wellerman come,
To bring us sugar and tea and rum,
One day