The House Carpenter- Hopkins (IN) 1935 Brewster B
[From Brewster: Ballads and Songs of Indiana; 1940. His notes follow,
R. Matteson 2013]
21. JAMES HARRIS (Child, No. 243)
Nine variants and two melodies of this ballad have been recovered, all nine of the variants being closely related to Child B, though with occasional touches of other versions. As usual, the lover has lost all traces of his demoniac character, and, too, many details of the original version have disÂappeared. The story as told in the Indiana texts is briefly this: A sailor returns to find his old sweetheart happily married to a house carpenter, and the mother of a child (or two) by him. By specious promises the former lover persuades the wife to desert husband and baby and go with him. She soon discovers her mistake, however, and begins to weep for the child left behind. The ship springs a leak and sinks to the bottom of the sea, bearing her with it. Some variants contain a stanza in which she voices a curse upon deceiving sailormen, or a warning to other wives. The "hills of heaven and hell" stanzas do not appear in Indiana versions.
For American texts, see Barry, No. 11; Barry, Eckstorm, and Smyth, p. 304; Belden, No. 11 (fragment); Brown, p. 9; Campbell and Sharp, No. 29; Cox, p. 139; Davis, p. 439; Hudson, No. 19; Hudson, Folksongs, p. 119; Journal, XIX, 295; XX, 257; XXV, 274; XXX, 325; XXXV, 346; XXXVI, 360; XLII, 275; XLIX, 209; Pound, Ballads, p. 34; Sandburg, p. 66; ScarÂborough, Song Catcher, p. 151; Shearin, p. 3; Shearin and Combs, p. 8; Smith, p. 151; Thomas, p. 172; Wyman and Brockway, Songs, p. 54; PTFLS, X, 159; Smith and Rufty, American Anthology, p. 46; Henry, Songs Sung in the Southern Appalachians, p. 59; Henry, Folk-Songs from the Southern Highlands, p. 113; Cox, Traditional Ballads, pp. 38, 41, 43, 45; BFSSNE, VII, 11; Randolph, Ozark Mountain Folks, p. 201.
B. "The House Carpenter." Contributed by Mrs. A. J. Hopkins, of Boonville, Indiana. Warrick County. May 21, 1935. With music.
Sung by Mrs. Hopkins; noted by Mrs. Johnson
1. "O I've just returned from the salt-water sea,
And it's all for the sake of thee;
For I could have married the king's daughter dear,
And she fain would have married me."
2. "If you could have married the king's daughter dear,
I'm sure you are not free;
And I am married to a house carpenter,
And a fine young man is he."
3. "If you'll forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me,
I'll take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of the Sweet Malea."
4. "If I'll forsake my house carpenter
And go along with thee,
What have you to maintain me on
To keep me from slavery?"
5. "I have seven ships upon the sea,
All sailing for dry land;
One hundred and fifty sailor-men
Shall be at your command."
6. "O yes, I'll leave my house carpenter
And go along with thee ;
I'll go to where the grass grows green
On the banks of the Sweet Malea."
7. She then picked up her little babe
And kisses gave it three,
Saying, "Stay at home, my little babe,
And bear papa company."
8. They had not been on sea two weeks,
Fm sure it was not three,
Until this lady began to weep,
And she wept most bitterly.
9. "O is it for my gold you weep,
Or is it for my store,
Or is it for your house carpenter
You left on a distant shore?"
10. "It is not for your gold I weep,
Nor is it for your store,
But it is for my little babe
I ne'er shall see no more."
11. They had not been on sea three weeks,
I'm sure it was not four,
Until the vessel it sprung a leak
And sank to rise no more.