The House Carpenter- Gregory (NC) 1946 Abrams REC
[From The Abrams Collection of field recordings made by him between 1939 -1946; with added commentary by Abrams.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
Listen:
http://omeka.library.appstate.edu/files/original/f96959e592ec9506d197b119c76bbfcd.mp3
The House Carpenter- Sung by Mrs. Belva Gregory (NC). Recorded by Abrams on July 17, 1946.
"Well met, well met, my own true love,"
"Well met, well met," said he.
"I've just returned from the great salt sea,
And it's all for the love of thee."
"Oh I could have married the king's daughter dear,
And she would have married me;
But I've returned from the great salt sea,
And it's all for the love of thee."
If you could have married the king's daughter dear,
I think you are to blame;
For I'm married to a house-carpenter,
And I think he's a nice young man.
I have now sixteen ships a-sailing on the sea
All aiming for dry land;
If you will leave this house carpenter
You will have at your command
She then picked up her darling little babe
And gave it kisses three,
Stay here stay here my darling little babe,
And keep your poppy company
They hadn't been gone not more than two weeks
I'm sure it wasn't three
There sprung a leak on the bottom of the ship
And sank in the great salt sea.