The House Carpenter- Hayes(NC) 1938 Abrams F
[From the Abrams Collection at App State online (the titels and designations may have changed since 2013). Listed then as Abrams No. 6, I've designated it F. It was given to Abrams on December 12, 1939 by Arthur Hays [Hayes], 1889-? of Triplett, Watauga County, North Carolina. It begins with two stanzas of False Young Man/White Oak Mountain.]
THE HOUSE CARPENTER- typed MS dated December 12, 1939 by Mr Arthur Hayes of Triplett, N. C. Edited for spelling and punctuation, with some suggestions in brackets.
I will lay my head again a closet door,
To see what my true love has to say.
Says it has been full a quarter of a year or more
Since I spoke one word to thee.
Said it has been full a quarter of a year or more
Since I spoke one word to thee.
I will come in but I won't sit down
For I have not a moment of time
I heard you was [were] engaged to another young man
And your heart was no longer mine.
I heard you was engaged to another young man
And your heart was no longer mine.
Oh don't you remember when your heart was mine
Your arms all round my neck;
You make me believe by the false oath
You swore that the sun rose in the west.
You made me believe by the false oath,
You swore that the sun rose in the west.
I could have have married a King's daughter
Or she would have married me
But I refused those crowns of gold
It was all for the love of thee.
But I refused those crowns of gold
It was all for the love of thee.
If you could have married a King's daughter fair
You sure are the one to blame
I have lately been wed to a house carpenter
And I think he is a nice young man.
I have lately been wed to a house carpenter
And I think he is a nice young man.
Forsake, oh forsake, your house carpenter
And go along with me.
I will take you to where the grass grows green
On the banks of the deep blue sea
I will take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of the deep blue sea.
"If I forsake my house carpenter
And go along with thee;
What have you got to maintain me on
To keep me from slavery.
What have you got to maintain me on
To keep me from slavery."
"I have three ships a sailing on the sea
Sailing for dry land;
Four and twenty of those jolly gentle men
They are to be at your command
Four and twenty of those jolly gentle men
They are to be at your command."
She picked up her sweet little babe
And kisses she gave it three;
"Stay at home stay at home you sweet little babe
For to keep your papa company.
Stay at home stay at home you sweet little babe
For to keep your papa company."
They had not been sailing more than to weeks
I assure it was not three
Till Miss Emmer [Emma] fell a-weeping in her true lover's arms
And she wept most bitterly.
Till Miss Emmer fell a-weeping in her true lover's arms
And she wept most bitterly.
Are you a-weeping for my silver or my gold
My carpet or my store?
Or are you a weeping for that house carpenter
Whose face you can see no more?
Or are you a weeping for that house carpenter
Whose face you can see no more?
I am neither a weeping for your silver nor your gold
Your carpet nor your store
I am only a weeping for my sweet little babe
Whose face I can see no more
I am only a weeping for my sweet little babe
Whose face I can see no more.
They had not been sailing more than three weeks
I'm sure it was not four.
Tell there sprung a leak in a [the] true lovers' ship
And it sunk to rise no more
Tell there sprung a leak in a true lover's ship
And it sunk to rise no more.
A curse a curse to all seamen
A curse for ever more
You have robbed me of my house carpenter
Whose face I can see no more
You have robbed me of my house carpenter
Whose face I can see no more.