There was a query on NZ Folk recently about possible origins of Farewell to the Gold so John Archer contacted Paul Metsers directly and here's his reply:


Michael Gray's "Song & Dance Man III" has a footnote (p.705) saying -
"... Nic Jones took this song from New Zealander Paul Metsers, who may have written it (or re-written it from a broadside)...."

Does any one have any ideas about the lineage of that song - was it possibly based on modifying an existing song?   
Or is that just parenthetical speculation by Michael Gray?

Paul Metsers wrote back to me (John Archer)

Hi John,
Thanks for your enquiry re 'FttG' and its origins.
I'm afraid there is no mystery source for the song, no distant broadside or doggerel from which it gained its inspiration. It's all out of my head as it happens. Even back then, when I wrote it in 1969, I think it was, I had been writing songs for at least 5 years.
It's what we do, we songwriters - put ourselves into the subject and
imagine we're in the story - a bit like someone writing a story, I guess.

I was teaching the Form 2 Music Class at Hutt Intermediate school at the time and had taken them all on a trip down the west coast of the South Island. We'd been over Arthurs Pass and Cardrona and down to the Shotover River and visited some old gold workings down that way. The kids had panned some gold and the whole thing had fired everyone's imagination. I went home to my folk's place in Gisborne, where I grew up, for the Xmas holidays with this really strong melodic idea and the basis of a chorus buzzing round in my head.

Then, I don't know where from, I got hold of a pictorial history of gold mining, a small but fascinating book called "The Goldfields of Central Otago", I think. When I read of the tragic flash flood of July in 1863, I knew I had the basis of a story. So I invented a young man who teams up with an equally imaginary experienced old prospector whom I called Jimmy Williams with dreams of riches to come. Jimmy is lost to the sudden waters while the youngster
survives to tell the tale. That's it!

As far as covers go, Nic Jones' version on his "Penguin Eggs" album is by far the best known and the only one to have earned me anything. I think that Nic does sing "Your gold, it's waning", which, of course, is correct.

Dylan got his from Nic's version but hasn't paid much attention
to lyrical accuracy. To my knowledge he's never recorded it. All I've
ever heard is a garbled live version probably bootlegged at a concert.

I've never received any royalties from Mary Black.

Well, I hope that's answered all your queries - I'd be interested in your reaction to it all.

All the best,
Paul Metsers.

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Straight from the horse's mouth!
Robyn