Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics:
Bright Fine Gold

Bright Fine Gold

Bright Fine Gold

Bright fine gold
Bright fine gold
One-a-pecker, Tuapeka
Bright fine gold
Spend it in the winter, or die of the cold,
One-a-pecker, Tuapeka, bright fine gold
It cannot light a lantern, it cannot cure a pain,
But still we go on searching although we search in vain
Some are sons of fortune, and my man came to see,
But the riches of the river are not for such as we
I'm weary of Otago, I'm weary of the snow
Lord, let my man strike it rich, and then we can go

Notes:
The chorus is an adaptation of "One-a-penny, two-a-penny, hot cross buns"
Verses largely from Ruth Park's book "One-a-pecker, two-a-pecker"

This song originates in the winter of 1863 at Gabriel's Gully,
  Lawrence, Otago west of Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island.
  Temperatures were so low that goldminers' families frequently
  found themselves sleeping in ice.

MG
oct99