House Carpenter- Kagley (TN) 1915 Anderson A
[My title. From Geneva Anderson's "A Collection of ballads and songs from East Tennessee." Master's Thesis, University of North Carolina, 1932.
R. Matteson 2016]
A. [House Carpenter] (The Daemon Lover) Sung by Mrs. Grace Kagley of Maryville Blount County TN, who heard this in 1915. Anderson, Collection 50.
1. We have met, we have met, my own true love,
We have met, we have met," said he
"For I have returned from the salt, salt sea,
And it's all for the sake of thee,
It's all for the sake of thee."
2. "I could have married the king's daughter fair,
I am sure she would have married me,
But I refused a crown of gold,
And it's all for the sake of thee,
And it's all for the sake of thee."
3. If you had the offer of a king's daughter fair,
I'm sure you are to blame,
For I have married a house carpenter,
And I think he's a nice young man,
And I think he's a nice young man."
4. "If you forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me?
I will take you where the grass grows green,
On the banks of the sweet Illinia,
On the banks of the sweet Illinia."
5. If I forsake my house carpenter
And go along with you[1],
What have you got to maintain me on
And keep me from poverty,
And keep me from poverty?
6. True love, I have five hundred ships
sailing on the seas,
They shall be at your command,
If you will go along with me,
If you will go along with me."
7. She picked up her sweet little babe,
And the kisses she gave it were three,
Saying, Stay here with your own papa dear
And keep him company,
And keep him company.
8 She dressed herself in cherry red,
So georgeously to behold,
And as they rode along the road
She shone like glittering gold,
She shone like glittering gold.
9. Well, they had not been sailing more than two weeks
I am sure not more than three,
Until that young lady began to weep
She wept most bitterly,
She wept most bitterly.
10. Well, they had not been sailing more than three weeks
I am sure not more than four,
Until that vessel sprung a leak
And it sank to rise no more,
And it sank to rise no more.
11. "True love, true love, look on in front
There's a cloud as white as any snow."
"It is a place of heaven, I know
Where you and I won't[2] go,
Where you and I won't go."
12. "True love, true love, look on behind
There's a cloud as black as any crow."
It is a place of hell, I know
Where you and I will go,
Where you and I will go."
1. thee; to rhyme
2. she sings "will" but clearly this is incorrect.