The House Carpenter- Hedy West (GA) 1966 REC
[My transcription. From the 1966 Hedy West recording Pretty Saro and Other Appalachian Ballads on Topic 12T 146, track# A.01.
This is probably from West's kin in Georgia and seems to be based on tradition rather than taken from an existing version. The first stanza is found in some Arkansas version (see Fred High's, for example) where the house carpenter's wife is named or called "Matt."
R. Matteson 2016]
The House Carpenter- Sung by Hedy West from Georgia, 1966 recording.
[banjo intro]
"Oh Matt, oh Matt, my own true love,
Oh Matt, oh Matt," said he.
"I've just come back from the salt sea
All for the sake of thee,
All for the love of you."
"I could have been married a rich King's daughter
I know she'd have married me
But I forsook a chest of gold
All for the sake of thee,
All for the love of you."
"Well if you could have married to a king's daughter
I'm sure you're to blame
For I've married a little house carpenter
And I think he is a nice young man.
Think he is a nice young man."
"If you'll forsake your little house carpenter
And come along with me
I'll take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of the Saint Willee
On the banks of the Saint Willee."
She dressed her babe in the finest silk
Laid it on her knee,
Stay here you tender little babe
And keep your father company
Keep your father company.
She dressed herself in the finest silk
The bodice was olive green
People would stop her going to the ship
They took to be some queen
They took to be some queen.
She's not been on board her ship more two weeks
I know it was not three
This pretty maid began to weep
And she wept most bitterly.
She wept most bitterly.
"Oh are you weeping for my gold,
Or is it for some store?
Are you weeping for the little house Carpenter
You never will see no more
You never will see no more?"
"I'm not weeping for my gold,
Neither for no store,
I'm weeping for the tender little babe
I never will see no more
I never will see no more."
She'd not been on board her ship more than three weeks,
I know it was not four;
Ship sprung a leak and it sank to the deep
Never to rise no more
Never to rise no more.
"A curse, a curse, on all mankind,
A curse, a curse," said she;
"You robbed me of my tender little babe
And taken my life from me,
Taken my life from me."
[banjo outro]