The House Carpenter- Clawson (UT-KY) 1947 Hubbard B
[From: Ballads and Songs from Utah, by Hubbard; 1961.
Hubbard's notes: Fife lists one version St. George, Utah, recorded for the Archive of Folk song, Library of Congress. Five of the seven additional texts from Utah are closely similar.
R. Matteson 2013]
B. "The House Carpenter." Obtained from Miss Patricia Clawson, a student at the University of Utah, March 4, 1947. Her aunt, Mrs. Graham Doxey, learned it in Louisville, Kentucky.
"Well met, well met," said own true love;
"Well met, well met," said he;
"I am just come from the sea, the sad salt sea,
And it is all for the sake of thee."
"I have had the offer of a king's daughter, fair,
And she fain would have married me;
But if you will go away with me
I will forsake for the sake of thee."
"If you had the offer of a king's daughter, fair,
I am sure you are to blame,
For I am married to a house carpenter,
And he is a fine young man."
"Oh, won't you leave your house carpenter
And go away with me?
I will take you to where the grass grows green
On the banks of Italy."
"If I was to leave my house carpenter
And go away with you,
And if you had nothing to support me on,
O Lord, what would I do?"
"I have six galiant ships on sea
And seven more on land,
And four and twenty jolly young men
Shall be at your command."
She went into her golden store;
She dressed herself in white,
And as she walked the store around,
She shone like silver bright.
She went over to her sweet little babe
And kisses gave it three,
Saying, "Lie you there, my sweet little babe,
Keep your father company."
This lady had not been gone two weeks,
I am sure it was not three,
Till she began to weep and mourn,
And she wept most bitterly.
"I am not weeping for my house carpenter
Nor for my golden store,
I am weeping for my sweet little babe
That I shall see no more."
This lady had not been gone three weeks,
I am sure it was not four,
Till this gallant ship she sprang a leak,
And she sank to rise no more.
Farewell, farewell to all on sea,
Farewell to all on shore,
Farewell to the man that first married me,
For I am sinking to rise no more.
"O cursed be to all seamen
And cursed be their lives,
For they are the ruin of young house carpenters,
Persuading of their wives."