Housecarpenter- Wright (OH) 1950s Grimes; Bronson No. 28
[From Bronson TTCB, 1966 No. 28 as taken from LC/AAFS, rec. No. 11.453(A14). Collected by Anne Grimes. A brief bio follows.
R. Mattteson 2013]
Anne Grimes, Ohio folksinger and scholar, died at the age of ninety-one in 2004 while working on her book, Stories from the Anne Grimes collection of American folk music. Summary: "Traveling along the highways and byways of Ohio in the 1950s as a folksinger and collector of traditional music, Anne Grimes encountered people from many different backgrounds who opened up their homes to her to share their most precious family heirlooms-their songs. She recorded these treasures for posterity and further preserved them through her lectures and recitals.
Housecarpenter- Sung by Mrs. Bertha Basham Wright, of Franklin County, Ohio; circa 1950.
1. Well met, well met, my old true love,
Well met, well met, cried he,
I'm just returning from the salt salt sea
And it's all for the sake of thee.
2. I once could have married a king's daughter dear
And she would have married me,
But I've forsaken her crowns of gold
And it's all for the sake of thee.
3. If you could have married a king's daughter dear,
I'm sure you are to blame,
For I am married to a house carpenter
And I think he's a fine young man.
4. If you'll forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me,
I'll take you to where the grass grows green
0n the banks of sweet Willie.
5. If I forsake my house carpenter
And go along with you,
What have you got to maintain a wife upon
Or keep her from slavery?
6. O I have thirteen ships on the sea,
Three out on dry land,
Three hundred and forty-five jolly sailor boys,
And they're all at your command.
7. She picked up her sweet little babe
Give it kisses one two three,
Saying, Stay here, stay here, my sweet little babe
And keep your papa's company.
8. She had not been on sea but two weeks,
And I'm sure that it was not three,
Till this young lady begin for to weep
And wept most bitterly.
9. Are you weeping about my silver and gold,
Are you weeping about my store,
Are you weeping about your house carpenter
That you'll never get to see any more?
10. I'm neither weeping for your gold,
And neither for your store,
But I'm weeping about my sweet little babe
I'll never get to see any more.
11. They had not been on sea but three weeks,
And I'm sure that it was not four,
Till this young lady's ship sprang a leak
And sank for to rise no more.
12. It's woe unto the seafaring man,
It's woe unto his wife,
For robbing of the house carpenter
And taking away my life.