The House Carpenter- (NC) pre1932 Greer C
[From I. G. Greer Collection No. 3, labeled Daemon Lover 03. No source, collector or informant is named. The MS is faded showing age with type and several "corrections" handwritten in pen. I'm guesstimating the age at 1932 or older (Greer was a professor Appalachian State Teacher’s College from 1910 to 1932). The text is the same as I. G. Greer Collection No. 4, labeled Daemon Lover 04, and also I. G. Greer Collection No. 5, labeled Daemon Lover 05, which leads me to believe these are perhaps the same version (the identifying labels have recently changed so they appear as Daemon Lover 04- etc.). The only difference is a last stanza (see Greer D) has been added. The distinct identifiers like "bank of sweet Willowree" or "One hundred and ten, bold brave looking men" are the same.
A duplicate copy was given Abrams and appears as Abrams No. 5.]
THE HOUSE CARPENTER - from I. G. Greer Collection No. 3 & 4 & 5; Appalachian State University
Well met, well met, my old true love
Well met, well met, he cried,
For I’m just returning from the salt salt sea,
And its all for the love of thee. [1]
Oh, I could have married a King’s daughter dear,
And she would have married me,
But I refused a crown of gold,
And its all for the love of thee.
If you could have married the King, daughter dear,
I think you are to blame,
For I have lately been married to a house carpenter,
And I think he’s a fine young man.
Oh, wont you leave your house carpenter,
And go along with me ?
I’ll take you where the grass grows green,
On the bank of sweet Willowree.
If I should leave my house carpenter,
And go along with you,
Pray what have you to maintain me on,
And keep me from slavery?
I have seven ships all sailing on the sea,
All sailing for dry land,
One hundred and ten, bold brave looking men,
You may have them at your command.
She went and dressed in her finest array,
And slowly turned away,
For she outshined the glittering gold,
Most beautiful to behold.
She went and kissed her sweet little babe,
She kissed it, she have it three,
Saying you stay here my dear darling little babe,
And keep your papa company.
They hadn’t been on ship two weeks or more,
I’m sure it was not three,
Until this lady was known to weep,
And she wept most bitterly.
Oh, is it for my gold you weep,
Or is it for my store,
Or is it for the house carpenter,
You never shall see anymore?
It is not for your gold I weep,
Neither is it for your store,
But its for my dear darling little babe,
I never shall see any more.
A curse, a curse to all seamen,
A curse to you she cried,
You have robbed me of my house carpenter,
And here I shall lose my life.
They hadn’t been on ship two [2] weeks or more,
I’m sure it was not four,
Until that ship did spring a leak,
And it sank to rise no more.
1. thee is written in pen over faded type
2. has written over it: three
From: I. G. Greer/W. Amos Abrams Manuscript Files Series, Folksong Files Subseries, W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection, Special Collections, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC