This song was inspired by the story of Alan Hopping and his search for the lost spring of Taputapuatea.

written by Deborah Mackenzie 23 April 2019

Chorus – intro

Mother, oh Mother Brown bring your daughters down

Under the weeping willow tree there’s magic to be found

Verse 1

Mother Brown had five fine daughters living off the land

Dwelling in the bush and scrub without a loving man

She knew of a secret stream that bubbled up from underground

Warm and sweet like magic tears, a mystery she’d found.

Chorus

Verse 2

Mother Brown took her five daughters down to the stream to bathe

Praying to our Mother Earth to keep them from harm’s way

The magic of the water blessed each one with a gift

Those five fine daughters then emerged with a destiny to fill.

Chorus

Verse 3

The oldest now was stronger than any many that lived

The second girl was sharp and bright – brilliance was her gift

The third could sense trouble from a thousand miles away

The fourth and fifth were twins who now could track any prey.

Chorus

Verse 4

Mother Brown now had five girls who could take care of men

Who hurt or harmed the women folk with nowhere safe to run

They took those hounds down to the place and held them in the creek

Only the weeping willow knew what happened underneath.

Chorus

Verse 5

When men around began to sense their kind no longer near

They started watching Mother Brown and her five daughters dear

They came with spades and boulders too to pile upon the spot

Where the magic of the Tapu creek came bubbling to the top.

Verse 6

One hundred years soon passed along, that stream lay buried still

The goodness of the magic lost to any living soul 

Then one day a man passed through, his willow rod bent down

Telling of the place where magic springs up from the ground.