The House Carpenter- Burns (NE) 1930 Burns
[From: THE HOUSE CARPENTER- A Folksong by Muriel Burns; Prairie Schooner, Vol. 4, No. 3 (SUMMER 1930), pp. 189-190. Her notes follow.
Although it's impossible to get an exact date, it's probably at least back as far as circa 1890s. Stanza seven also appears in the "Brown Girl," Child 73.
R. Matteson 2013]
In this ballad we have a good version of a British folksong commonly known under the title of "The Demon Lover" or "The House Carpenter." The first title is, however, hardly appropriate for American variants of this song, since, in such texts, there is little or nothing of the supernatural. The version of the song herewith printed was handed the Editor by Muriel Burns, a student in the University of Nebraska, Summer Session (1930). Miss Burns recovered the song from the singing of her mother, Mrs. E. J. Burns of Eagle, Nebraska, who had it, in turn, from the memory of her mother. It is here printed just as it came to us.
THE HOUSE CARPENTER- A Nebraska Folksong from the singing of her mother, Mrs. E. J. Burns of Eagle, Nebraska.
"Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well met, well met," cried he.
"For I've just returned from t he salt water sea
And 't was all for the love of thee."
(Repeat last two lines.)
If you returned from the salt water sea
I'm sure you're much to blame
For I have married a house carpenter
And I think he's a fine young man.
If you'll forsake your house carpenter
And go to sea with me,
I will take you to where the grass grows green
By the side of the salt water sea.
If I forsake my house carpenter
And go to sea with you,
What have you there to maintain me on
By the side of the salt water sea?
I have five ships in harbors there,
And seven more at sea,
I've a hundred and ten of fine young men
And they're a ll for to wait on thee.
She picked up her babe, her sweet little babe,
And gave it kisses three,
Saying, "Stay at home you sweet little dear
For your father's company."
She dressed herself in scarlet red,
Most beautiful to behold,
And as she walked a-down the street,
She shone like glittering gold.
They'd not been gone but about two weeks,
I'm sure it was not three,
'Till this fair lady began to weep
And she wept most bitterly.
"What are you weeping for?" said he.
For my silver, gold or store?
Or the house, or the house, or the house carpenter
That you left on the other shore?
I'm not weeping for your silver or gold,
Or weeping for your store,
But I'm weeping for my sweet little babe
Whose sweet lips I shall kiss no more.
They sailed on for about three days,
I'm sure it was not four,
Till from off the deck there was heard a leap,
And the weeping was heard no more.
A curse, a curse, on all sea men,
A curse, a curse on me
For stealing away another man's wife
To go to sea with me.