House Carpenter- Graham (CA) 1939 REC Cowell
[From Library of Congress online. This ballad is part of a group of field materials documenting George Vinton Graham performing Anglo-American songs on October 12, 1938, December 3 and 7, 1938, July 9, 1939, and August 16, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in San Jose, California.
This is not an inspiring performance by Graham. I've arranged it as best I could from the confused recording. Recorded by Sidney Robertson Cowell in San Jose, California on August 16, 1939.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
House Carpenter- Sung by George Vinton Graham, vocals and guitar (San Jose, CA) 1939 REC Cowell
Her darling little babe she lay down
And kissed it o'er and o'er;
They sailed away that very day
Her house carpenter standing on the shore,
And her house carpenter standing on the shore.
"Oh, do you weep for my gold?" cried he
"And do you weep for my store?
Or do you weep for your house carpenter,
Who you left a-standing on the shore
Who you left a-standing on the shore?"
I do not weep for you gold said she,
And I do not weep for your store,
But I weep for the smiling, smiling little babe,
Who I never shall see anymore,
Who I never shall see anymore.
They had not been gone past three weeks,
I'm sure it was not four;
When the ship sprang a leak and it sank to the deep
Never to return anymore
Never to return anymore.