House Carpenter- Maxey (VA) 1939 Halpert Bronson 49
[Bronson's transcription. From LC/AAFS Rec. No 2742 (B2). Collected by Herbert Halpert. Also in Bronson's TTCB, III, 1966, No. 49.
Curiously, this is identical to the version sung by J.W. "Peg" Hatcher also at Ferrum, Virginia in 1939.
R. Matteson 2013]
House Carpenter- Sung by H. L. Maxey; Ferrum, Va. 1939. Collected by Herbert Halpert.
1. Cursed be the salt sea man
Cursed be his life
For the robbing of the house carpenter
And taking away his wife.
2. Come in, come in, my old true love,
And set right here by me,
Oh, it's been three quarters of a year or more,
Since I've spoke one word to thee.
3. If you will forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me,
I'll carry you to where the grass grows green,
On the banks of the sweet Bewlea.
4. If I should forsake my house carpenter,
And go along with you.
What have you there to support me on
And keep me from slavery?
5. Six ships was out on the ocean, dear,
And they all lined with gold:
Before you should suffer, my darling little girl
I would have them all anchored and sold.
6, She hadn't 'a' been there but a week or two
I'm sure that it couldn't been three,
Before that ship she sprang a leak
And she wept most bitterly.