House Carpenter- Dusenbury (AR) c. 1936 BK
[From: The Dusenbury Songs: being the seventy traditional songs collected from the singing of Emma Dusenbury of Mena, Ark., at various dates between Aug. 27th, 1933 & Aug. 10th, 1936.
This book is rare and I've gotten some of the text from google books. Notes by Bronson follow,
R. Matteson 2016]
At the age of 17, the late Mrs. Emma Dusenbury had set out to learn all the songs in the world. Discovering that "people keeps a-makin' songs," she was finally obliged to abandon the project, but not before amassing a remarkably large repertoire. Through the efforts of collectors Laurence Powell and Sidney Robertson Cowell, the old blind lady in a small Ozark village enriched the Archive of Folk Song by 125 valuable songs and ballads.
The House Carpenter- as sung by Emma Dusenbury between 1933 and 1936
"Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well, met, well met," said he;
"I've just returned from the salt water sea
And it's all for the love of thee."
"I could have married the king's daughter fair;
And she would have married me,
And it's I forsake that hair colored gold,
And it's all for the love of thee."
"If you could have married the king's daughter fair,
I'm sure you have done wrong;
For I have married the house carpenter,
And I think he's a nice young man."
O can't you forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me;
I'll take you where the grass grows green,
On the banks of sweet Willee.
But what have you got to maintain me
To keep me from slavery?
O what have you got to maintain me
To keep me from slavery?
"I've six bright ships all on the sea,
And three of them are yourn;
Twenty young --at your command,
If you will go with me."
She tuck her babe all on her lap,
And kisses gave it three;
"Stay, stay at home my tender little babe
And keep your pappy company."
She went into a little side-room,
And dressed herself in green;
And ev'ry town that she rode through
They tuck her to be some queen.
[text missing until the end stanzas]
She hadn't been gone but about four weeks
I'm sure it was not four;
Until she throwed herself overboard
And he weeping was heard no more.
O cursed is the old sea-course;
And cursed was his life;
For robbing of the house-carpenter
And stealing of his wife.