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A West Coast miner modified "The Wearing of the Green" for this broadside ballad he sung at a dinner for Richard Seddon, who had just returned from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London.

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Tune  - The Wearing of the Green

1. Our D Premier1 has landed, Right A Honourable you know
To celebrate the G Jubilee, our Dick he had to D go.
And when he lands home again, he'll have lots to relate
Of all the sights that he has seen, and how he rode in state.

Oh how he rode in state,
He'll have lots to relate
Grand sights he has seen,
There is no mistake.

2. When our Premier was landed, they took him all around,
And they brought in their verdict, that the like was never found.
Then they had a meeting, with Dick the head of all,
To go and kneel before the Queen, the head of them all.

Oh! the head of them all
May he never fall,
When he appeared before the Queen
It was a Royal call.

3. "I hope my noble Richard," the Queen to Dick did say,
"May your life be a pleasure, while in England you stay.
You are now classed as royalty, throughout your natural life,
And may the good Lord guide you, and your loving wife."

Oh! and your loving wife,
Through this world of strife,
May the good Lord guide you,
And your loving wife.

8. And now he's got all he needs, the people's confidence,
He'll go on a'ruling; and we know he is no dunce.
We'll leave most of it to him, he knows what he's about,
He's not to call a lawyer, but he knows as much as Stout.

Oh he know more than Stout2
There isn't any doubt
He's not to call a lawyer,
But he knows what he's about.

Alternative template for lyrics with a translation.

Håns geh Huom,
Håns geh Huom
weiss döi's niat
wöi's Wiera wird
Hans geh Huom.
Kann sie renga,
Kann sie schneira
Morgn fräih
tut's da reia
Håns geh Huom,
Håns blei dou.
 Johnny go home,
Johnny go home
you don't know
what the weather will be like.
Johnny go home.
it could rain,
it could snow
tomorrow morning early
you'll regret it
Johnny go home,
Johnny stay there.

1. Premier - was the title given to the leading elected NZ politician in parliament before the name was changed to Prime Minister in 1906.

2. Stout - In 1893, the dying Liberal premier, John Ballance, wanted highly qualified lawyer Robert Stout to succeed him, but he was temporarily out of Parliament, giving Richard Seddon time to take control the leadership before Stout returned in a by-election. Stout was chief justice from 1899 to 1926.

Information about song content

Born in Lancashire, England in 1845, he acquired mechanical engineering skills and arrived in Hokitika in 1866. He used his great strength and engineering skills to become wealthy by sluicing for gold at Waimea.

He became a local politician, MP and then government leader for 5 terms. He not only led the government, many argued he was the government, thus earning the name 'King Dick.' For 13 years he completely dominated politics, dying in office in 1906 as NZ's longest-serving leader. Te Ara

Although he was a British Imperialist, he was fond of singing the Irish Republican song 'The Wearing of the Green' at events. The Observer in 1897 scathingly remarked that "Mr Seddon has a voice as powerful as a fog-horn, and an obliging disposition, but he labours under certain disadvantages as a vocalist. He has succeeded in mastering only two songs. One is 'The Wearing of the Green' and the other 'Wait til the Clouds Roll By.'

Brief information about writer

George Bradley was a miner and balladeer on the West Coast, living at Half Ounce, one of the many mining settlements that have since turned into ghost towns (the former site is near Totara Flat). He was presumably a supporter of Seddon. He died in Wellington in 1903.

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Put onto folksong.org.nz website July 2022