The California Gold-Hunter (William Batchelder Bradbury)
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- (Posted 2023-09-27) CPDL #75770:
- Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-09-27). Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 741 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: The California Gold-Hunter
Composer: William Batchelder Bradbury
Lyricist: Asahel Abbott
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1852 Newman & Ivison
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Come listen to me Yankee boys, a story I’ll relate,
That happened in the valley of the California state.
’Twas far down in the bottom lands we hunters went so bold,
And worked like busy bees when we thought about the gold.
O the gold, the gold! they say
’Tis brighter than the day;
And now ’tis mine,
I’m bound to shine
And drive dull care away!
My creditors gave me a year to pay them what I owe,
I thanked them very kindly, and then leaned for Francisco;
And as I scraped the valleys deep where once the waters rolled,
I filled up all my pockets with the bright and shining gold.
By the steep banks of the river where we stoop and bend so low,
The flakes we find above the ground, the lumps are down below;
But far off is another spot, where, sometimes, we are told,
That when the tide is very low we find great heaps of gold!
Beneath a hot and scorching sun I’ve worked for many a day,
Quite happy that I’ve grown so rich, and soon was going away;
For there is one in Yankee-land I’m longing for to see,
I’ve got for her a heap of gold— she’s got a heart for me.