You don't always have a melody player available to practise tune accompaniments. This web app can help. Hatao, a talented flute player from Japan, has put it online. He has recorded around 60 tunes. These can be easily found here using a search mask.
“Farewell to the Gold” is a contemporary folk ballad written by New Zealand songwriter Paul Metsers in the late 1960s. Though often mistaken for a traditional song, it was inspired by Metsers’ visit to the historic gold-mining region of Otago, in New Zealand’s South Island. The song gained wide recognition when Nic Jones recorded it in 1980 on his influential album Penguin Eggs.
The ballad tells the story of a failed gold prospector working along rivers like the Shotover and Cardrona. The narrator and his partner “Jimmy the prospector” dream of riches but find little success. Their hardship culminates in tragedy when a flood sweeps Jimmy away. The singer, disillusioned and grieving, bids farewell to both his lost friend and the dream of striking gold. The poignant chorus expresses a deep sense of loss and resignation: “Farewell to the gold that never I found... only when dreaming do I see you gleaming.”
Daoirí Farrell’s powerful interpretation retains the song’s emotional depth and haunting melody, helping to cement its place in the modern folk tradition. Though not centuries old, its timeless themes of hope, struggle, and loss have allowed it to blend seamlessly into the traditional song repertoire.
{t:Farewell To The Gold}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
Capo 4
[D]Shotover [A]River, the [Bm]gold lies [F#m]waiting
It's [G]years since the [A]color I've [D]seen[A]
And it's [D]no use in [A]sitting or [Bm]Lady Luck [F#m]blaming
I'll [G]pack up and [A]make the break [D]clean
{soc}
[A]Farewell to the gold that [D]never I [A]found
[D]Goodbye to the [D/C#]nuggets that [Bm7]somewhere are [A]bound
For it's [D]only when [A]dreaming that [Bm]I'll see you [F#m]gleaming
Down [G]in the dark [A]deep under[D]ground
{eoc}
It's [D]nearly two [A]years since I [Bm]left my own [F#m]mother
For [G]excitement and [A]gold by the [D]poun[A]d
With [D]Jimmy the pro[A]spector, Oh [Bm]he was [F#m]another
And to the [G]hills of [A]Otago we were [D]bound
{soc}
[A]Farewell to the gold that [D]never I [A]found,
[D]Goodbye to the [D/C#]nuggets that [Bm7]somewhere are [A]bound
For it's [D]only when [A]dreaming that [Bm]I'll see you [F#m]gleaming
Down [G]in the dark [A]deep under[D]ground
{eoc}
Well we [D]worked the Car[A]drona's dry [Bm]valley all [F#m]over
[G]Old Jimmy [A]Williams and [D]me [A]
They were [D]panning good [A]dirt down on [Bm]winding [F#m]Shotover
So we [G]headed down [A]there just to [D]see
{soc}
[A]Farewell to the gold that [D]never I [A]found,
[D]Goodbye to the [D/C#]nuggets that [Bm7]somewhere are [A]bound
For it's [D]only when [A]dreaming that [Bm]I'll see you [F#m]gleaming
Down [G]in the dark [A]deep under[D]ground
{eoc}
We [D]sluiced and we [A]cradled for [Bm]day after [F#m]day
Barely [G]making e[A]nough to get [D]by [A]
And then a [D]terrible [A]flood washed poor [Bm]Jimmy [F#m]away
During [G]six stormy [A]days in [D]July
{soc}
[A]Farewell to the gold that [D]never I [A]found,
[D]Goodbye to the [D/C#]nuggets that [Bm7]somewhere are [A]bound
For it's [D]only when [A]dreaming that [Bm]I'll see you [F#m]gleaming
Down [G]in the dark [A]deep under[D]ground.
{eoc}
{soc}
[A]Farewell to the gold that [D]never I [A]found,
[D]Goodbye to the [D/C#]nuggets that [Bm7]somewhere are [A]bound
For it's [D]only when [A]dreaming that [Bm]I'll see you [F#m]gleaming
Down [G]in the dark [A]deep under[D]ground.
Down [G]in the dark [A]deep under[D]ground.
{eoc}
If you copy these lyrics and import them into an lyrics and chords app like Songbook you can see the chords above the lyrics, transpose etc. In the Songbook app you can define Bouzouki as instrument and it has chords implemented so you can see how to play them. You even can define your own chords, which is really handy sometimes. The app is available for most platforms.
Here I have collected some videos how this app works.
Sometimes you come across wonderful videos on YouTube by chance. Here is a recording of a concert by TG4 featuring Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Nia Ní Bheirn and Manus Lunny from the Cork Folk Festival.
Daoiri released this song as a single during Covid. He plays it on his Bass-Bouzouki in C without capo (with D shapes). As I don't own a Bass-Bouzouki I have to play it with capo on 5th fret and G-Shapes.
This is the Covid Lockdown Version (Sorry for the bad sound, it is as it was )
{t:When The Breakers Go Back On Full Time}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
Capo 5
{soc}
Oh, and it's [G]ah, sure if the news be true,
The store bills the first thing I'll [C]pay,
A [D]Grand parlor suit for the lounge I will [D7]buy
And an [C]organ for Biddy, [D]hurray ([D7]HOORAY)
Me [G]calico skirt I will throw into the dirt
In a new one I'll cut a [C]shine
And the [D]very next chance, I'll put Seamus in [D7]pants
When the [C]breaker goes [D]back on full [G]time
{eoc}
Oh, our [G]troubles are over, Mrs. Murphy,
The Dutchman next door tells me strai[C]ght
Oh the [D]mines, they go full time on Monday[D7]
[C]That's what he says to me any [D]rate [D7]
And the [G]boss he told Michael this morning
As he was just enterin the [C]mine
That the [C]coal i[D]s quite scarce around in P[G]hilly [Em]
And the [C]breaker goes [D]back on full [G]time
{soc}
Oh, and it's [G]ah, sure if the news be true,
The store bills the first thing I'll [C]pay,
A [D]Grand parlor suit for the lounge I will [D7]buy
And an [C]organ for Biddy, [D]hurray ([D7]HOORAY)
Me [G]calico skirt I will throw into the dirt
In a new one I'll cut a [C]shine
And the [D]very next chance, I'll put Seamus in [D7]pants
When the [C]breaker goes [D]back on full [G]time
{eoc}
I'll [G]ne'er put me hand in the washtub
The Chinaman he'll get me [C]trade
And I'll ne'er [D]pick the coal off the slate bank[D7]
No I'll [C]buy everything ready-[D]made [D7]
We'll [G]dress up our children like fairies
And we'll build a house big and [C]fine
And we'll mo[C]ve right aw[D]ay from the [G]round heads [Em]
When the [C]breaker goes [D]back on full [G]time
{soc}
Oh, and it's [G]ah, sure if the news be true,
The store bills the first thing I'll [C]pay,
A [D]Grand parlor suit for the lounge I will [D7]buy
And an [C]organ for Biddy, [D]hurray ([D7]HOORAY)
Me [G]calico skirt I will throw into the dirt
In a new one I'll cut a [C]shine
And the [D]very next chance, I'll put Seamus in [D7]pants
When the [C]breaker goes [D]back on full [G]time
And the [D]very next chance, I'll put Seamus in [D7]pants
When the [C]breaker goes [D]back on full [G]time
{eoc}
If you copy these lyrics and import them into an lyrics and chords app like Songbook you can see the chords above the lyrics, transpose etc. In the Songbook app you can define Bouzouki as instrument and it has chords implemented so you can see how to play them. You even can define your own chords, which is really handy sometimes. The app is available for most platforms.
Here I have collected some videos how this app works.
Here's what AI found out:
Because the full lyrics aren’t generally available in public sources, what follows is a summary based on reviews, commentary, and what Daoirí has said about the song.
Theme / Voice: The song is sung from the perspective of a worker (a coal miner or someone connected to mining / the coalfields) who is waiting for better days. The “breakers” here refers to the coal breakers — these are machines or processing plants in coal mines that break coal up and prepare it for transport. When the breaker is “on full time,” it means there’s full work in the mines, seasonal or temporary idleness is over, and full production has resumed.
Desire & Hope: The narrator is longing for the return of steady work. When production is running full‑time, that means more income, stability, being able to meet obligations (pay store bills), better provisions for the family, maybe improvements to clothing or living standards.
Relief from hardship: In periods when the breaker is not working “full‑time,” life is harder: irregular pay, worry, perhaps debt, worry about affording basic necessities. The song expresses hope for a change: that soon things will be better.
Promises & Plans: The lyrics imagine what the narrator will do when work returns — pay the bills, buy a “suit,” dress the kids, improve the house, etc. There is a sense of celebration in anticipation: once the work comes, life will improve.
Contrast & Tension: There is both hope but also doubt; because often in mining communities, promises of resumption of full work are made and then delayed, or conditions fluctuate. So the song reflects both longing and resignation, mixed with optimism.
Here are important details about the song’s origins, meaning, and how Daoirí Farrell came to record it:
Traditional / Folk Roots: “When the Breakers Go Back On Fulltime” is a song previously recorded by Frank Harte & Dónal Lunny, two well‑known figures in the Irish folk tradition. Daoirí’s version is a traditional arrangement.
Album & Timing: It appears on Daoirí Farrell’s single The Lockdown, released 26 June 2020. It was recorded live from his home during the COVID‑19 pandemic, as part of his weekly “Corner Sessions” live‑streaming performances.
Relation to Lockdown Experience: Daoirí has said that When the Breakers Go Back On Fulltime was chosen in part because its theme — longing for the return of steady work — resonated with many people during the lockdowns, when many workers were furloughed, unemployed, or unable to work. The song’s message parallels the experience of uncertainty, waiting for full normality to resume.
This is a lovely clip from Tom and Caroline playing two Jigs: Munster Buttermilk and Port Mhoss Mhartin (aka Contentment is wealth).
“Fergie McCormack,” sung by Daoirí Farrell and written by Marcus Turner, is a darkly comic folk ballad that twists heroism into absurdity. The song tells of a fire in a tall building where a woman, trapped with her baby, refuses to jump. Amid the panic, Fergie McCormack—a rugby player—steps forward and persuades her to throw him the child. He catches the baby safely, to the crowd’s delight, but in a shocking and humorous turn, his sporting instincts take over: he performs “a swift up-and-under” and kicks the baby “forty metres to touch.”
The song’s humour lies in this abrupt shift from tragedy to farce. Farrell delivers it with the lively rhythm of a traditional Irish ballad, making the macabre twist even more striking. Beneath the comedy, the story satirizes how societies glorify heroes and blur the lines between courage, reflex, and performance. Fergie’s act, both brave and ridiculous, exposes the tension between genuine heroism and the instinct for spectacle. Like much of the folk tradition, the tale blends myth, morality, and irony—reminding listeners that even the most heroic legends can end in folly, and that laughter often lurks where solemn praise is expected.
Here's a very old recording of Daori made in Germany by a friend of mine:
{t:Fergie McCormack}
{st:Daoiri Farrell}
Capo 3
Oh [D]Fergie McCormack was walking one [G]day
When he [D]noticed a building on [G]fire
And the [D]screams of a lady could plainly be [G]heard
As the [D]building it smoldered even [A]higher
Oh the [G]trembling [D]lady was [G]clutching a [D]baby
And the [D]building was ten stories [G]high
It could [D]plainly be seen that both she and her [G]baby
Were [D]certainly [A]doomed for to [D]die
Well the [D]firemen were there with their ropes and big [G]ladders
And they were [D]holding a big trampo[G]line
They were [D]trying to entice this young lady to [G]jump
But [D]indeed she wasn't very [A]keen
For her [G]baby was too [D]small to [G]survive such a [D]fall
And [D]she then refused to let [G]go
Oh, well [D]what could they do? They were all in a [G]stew
As they [D]helplessly [A]gazed from be[D]low
Well [D]along came a hero, bold Fergie Mc[G]Cormack
Says he, “[D]Throw your baby to [G]me!”
"[D]Indeed I will catch it, and from death I will [G]snatch it"
"And [D]safe in me arms he will [A]be”
Oh his [G]masculine [D]arms and the [G]big fullback's [D]charms
Laid [D]down all this young lady's [G]fears
As she [D]cried, “Bless you Fergie!”, she tossed her baby [G]over
The [D]side as her [A]eyes filled with [D]tears
Well the [D]rest of the story can long be [G]remembered
In [D]history throughout all the [G]land
As that [D]baby came down and the crowd gathered [G]round
Oh it [D]landed safely in Fergie's [A]arms
“Oh, he's [G]rescued the [D]child!” said the [G]crowd going [D]wild
But the [D]excitement was clearly too [G]much
As they [D]all gazed in wonder, with a swift up-and-[G]under
He [D]kicked forty [A]meters to [D]touch