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
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!