The House Carpenter- Jesse H. Gilbert, c.1890
[From: Memory Melodies- A Collection of Folk-Songs from Middle Tennessee- McDowells; 1947. This is a compilation of Child ballad No. 243, James Harris (The Daemon Lover) under the common US name, The House Carpenter.
R. Matteson 2014]
THE HOUSE CARPENTER
1. "Well met, well met," said her own true love,
"Well met, well met," said he;
"I've just returned from the salt water sea,
And 'twas all for the love of thee."
2. "I once could have married a king's daughter fair,
And she'd have married me ,
But I refused her crown of gold,
And 'twas all for the sake of thee."
3. "If you could have married a king's daughter fair,
I'm sure I'm not to blame;
I've married me a house carpenter
And I think he' s a nice young man."
4. "If you will forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me.
I'll take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of the sweet Riveree."
5.. She took her baby upon her lap,
The kisses she gave were free;
"Stay here, stay here my sweet, little babe,
And keep your pa company."
6. She dressed herself in her finest robes,
Most beautiful to behold;
And as she sprang along the street,
Her eyes shined bright as gold.
7. She had been roaming about two days;
I'm sure not more than three,
When she began to weep and mourn
And cry most bitterly.
8. "Are you weeping for my silver and gold,
Or is it for my store,
Or is it for your house carpenter
You never shall see any more?"
9. "I am not weeping for silver nor gold,
Nor is it for your store;
I'm weeping for my sweet little babe
I never shall see any more."
10. She had been sailing about three weeks
I'm sure not more than four,
before the ship began to sink,
And sank to rise no more.
Notes: Melody and a few of the words remembered by Mrs. L. L. McDowell from her youth. Sung with same melody and additional words by Mrs. Ella Turner in 1938. Mrs. Turner say a Gilbert girl sang it about 1890. Jesse H. Gilbert, of Smithville, Route 5, a brother of the girl, wrote nearly all the above words from memory.
Mr. Gilbert , who is an old man now says that his grandfather brought the song from Virginia, and that the Gilberts came from England. As written above, the ballad has verses from the three sources named Mr. Gilbert, Mrs. Turner, and Mrs. McDowell.
The words agree in those verses that two or more of the three remember; the only differences being that each remembers one or more verses not recalled by the others.
All agree on the melody as above.