Well, it started out for California in 1849
With nothing but a horse and a mule
and one little jug of moonshine
Cause everybody done got the fever
so we head for Sutter's Mill
all over the side of his hill
Forty -niners, we're diggin' for gold
Feelin' mighty bold and a
Hallelujah, we're diggin' for gold
Cause all of this gold is mine
But we just laughed and kept on pannin'
We filled our bags with golden nuggets
Old Sutter sat down and cried
And he said, you doggone squatter,
get off of my countryside
But we're diggin' for gold,
Forty -niners, we're diggin' for gold
Hallelujah, we're diggin'
Well, finally dug till I got me a million,
And I found me a gal in a big saloon,
And I throwed my gold dust down.
Now everybody in San Francisco here
Helped me spin the dough,
And when my gold was gone,
they said, get going, you silly so -and -so
Feelin' mighty bold and a
Hallelujah, I'm a -diggin' for gold
Forty -niners, we're diggin' for gold
Feelin' mighty bold and a
Hallelujah, we're diggin' for gold