The Wellerman/TikTok songs

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Do you have TikTok installed on your phone/laptop?

Yes

No

Do you use TikTok daily?

Yes, every day.

Sometimes

Never

Have you heard of the Sea Shanty music that is very popular right now on TikTok?

Yes, definitely!

Maybe

No, not at all

The Wellerman - Nathan Evans

TikTok sensation Nathan Evans dropped this cover of the sea shanty 

The Wellerman. 

Soon, people started joining in and the result was a beautiful

orchestra of people singing a swashbuckling song.

The song and other sea shanties took off on TikTok and people

started singing them together via TikTok during lockdown.

How high is Wellerman up in the charts?

1. 1st
2. 2nd
3. 3rd
4. 4th

What does Nathan think about his transition from postman to pop star?

1. He doesn't really feel a difference.
2. He hates it and wants to quit as soon as the hype is over.
3. He finds it terrifying how quickly it went.
4. He hasn't had time to think about it.

What does the music remind the hosts of being in?

1. A club
2. A pub
3. At home with family
4. A festival

With which artist does Nathan want to collaborate in the future?

1. Michael Ball
2. David Guetta
3. Ed Sheeran
4. Sam Smith

The Wellerman

A lot of ships participated in whale hunting. Whales were valuable for their meat and their whale oil, which is used in medical supplies. 

The Wellerman is a folksong/sea shanty from New Zealand. The song is about supply ships from The Weller Brothers, which were called Wellerman by the people. 

The crew of the supply ships used these songs to get through the days. They were exposed to harsh labour for too little money and were away from home for many days. They were on a ship together and to fight their depression and sad thoughts, they would band together and sing songs while working to make it all bearable.

Sea Shanties originated from Irish and Scottish folk songs and are used a lot by working men. These songs would usually have a certain rhythm which makes it easier to combine with working. Other songs are Drunken Sailor and Johnny leave her. (Also used on TikTok!)

What was whale oil used for?

1. To make food tastier
2. Medical products
3. Beauty products
4. Shaving cream

Where did Sea Shanties originate from?

1. New Zealand and Ireland
2. Ireland and Wales
3. Ireland and Scotland
4. The United Kingdom

Why were shanties sung by the men on the ships?

1. To get through tough times together.
2. Because they were forced to.
3. For talent shows each night on deck.
4. For fun.

Where does the Wellerman originate from? (The song)

1. Scotland
2. New-Zealand
3. Australia
4. Ireland

How could you link people singing sea shanties in the past to present day corona lockdowns?

David Glass, the creator of the hit Heat Waves, did an interview on British television.

Watch the interview

Afterwards, answer the questions about Heat Waves

01:20

Who does Dave trust with his puppy?

1. Nobody
2. A stranger
3. Sammy
4. His mum

02:23

Why were there so many pineapples at their concerts?

1. It was on the first album
2. A person brought it to a concert and Dave put it on an AMP
3. People started throwing it on stage
4. Dave really likes pineapples

03:59

How does Dave Glass describe the videoclip with his neighbour.

1. Very strange
2. A clumsy setup
3. A sense of community
4. The most heartwarming thing

05:36

What did people need to bring to the online video with followers?

1. Their pets
2. A purple and green sign
3. A purple and green object
4. A sign

08:15

What did you think of the song?

Absolute garbage

Meh

Okay

Good

Great!! :)

Speaking assignment

Record yourself talking English. Talk about the following

things for atleast a minute.

1. Talk about your favourite song/genre and explain.

2. Would you rather visit a concert of visit a club?

Choose 1 and explain why.

3. Upload the recording to MSTeams.

04:22

Why is Heat Waves so popular according to Dave?

1. Because of TikTok
2. The beat is good
3. It is relatable
4. It's bigger than the listeners