The House Carpenter- Barbour (IL) 1933 McIntosh; Bronson 138
[Reprinted by Bronson in his TTCB, III; 1966, no. 138 as taken from McIntosh; 1935, p. 34.
R. Matteson 2013]
The House Carpenter- Sung by Frances Barbour (IL) 1933 Collected by McIntosh.
1. "I once could have married a king's daughter,
And she would have married me,
But I have crossed the deep briny ocean
All for the love of thee."
2. "If you could have married a king's daughter,
And she would have married thee,
You need not have crossed the deep briny ocean
All for the love of me."
3. . . . .
. . . .
"For I am married to a house carpenter,
And I think he's a fine young man.'
4. "If you will leave your house carpenter
And come along with me,
I'll take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of Liberty."
5. She picked up her dear little babe,
And gave it kisses three
Saying, "Stay at home my dear little babe,
Keep father company.''
6. She went into her dressing room
And dressed all up so gay,
Just for to leave her house carpenter
And sail on the raging sea.
7. . . .
. . . .
"And what have you got to maintain me upon
And keep me from slavery?"
8. "I've seven ships in harbor and on sea
And seven more on land
And three hundred of bright boatsmen
To rise at your command."
9. She picked up her dear little babe
And gave it kisses four
Saying, "Stay at home, my dear little babe,
Whose face I shall see no more."
10. This lady had not been a-sailing on deck
For more than two weeks or three
When she was down at the bottom of the boat
Weeping most bitterly.
11. "Oh, do you weep for your silver or your gold,
Or do you weep for your store?
Or do you weep for your house carpenter
You left on the other shore?"
12. "I neither weep for my silver nor my gold;
I neither weep for my store,
But I do weep for my poor little babe,
Whose face I shall see no more.
13. This lady had not been a-sailing on deck
No more than three weeks or four,
When there sprang a leak at the bottom of the boat,
Her weeping was heard no more.