The House Carpenter- (NC) pre1932 Greer D
[From I. G. Greer Collection No. 4, labeled Daemon Lover Lyric Variant 04. No source, collector or informant is named. The MS is faded showing age with no corrections, there are two typing errors. It was probably typed by Greer or an associate in house. I'm guesstimating the age at pre1932 (Greer was a professor at Appalachian State Teacher’s College from 1910 to 1932. There is sheet music that corresponds to Variant 04.
The text is the nearly the same as I. G. Greer Collection No. 3, labeled Daemon Lover 03, and also I. G. Greer Collection No. 5, labeled Daemon Lover 05, which leads me to believe these are perhaps different copies of the same version. The only difference is a last stanza (see Greer C which is missing the last stanza) 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; Appalachian State University. Versions 3, 4, & 5
“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 it’s 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 it’s all for the love of thee. ”
“If you could have married a King’s daughter, dear,
I think you are to blame, [2]
For I have lately been married to a house carpenter,
And I think he’s a fine young man.”
“Oh, won’t you leave your house carpenter,
And go along with me?
I’ll take you where the grass grows green,
On the banks of sweet Willowrie. ”
“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 fine 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 gave it three,
Saying, “You stay here you 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 the 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 that house carpenter,
You never shall see anymore?”
“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 three weeks or more,
I’m sure it was not four,
Until that ship did spring a leak,
And it sank to rise no more.
O don’t you see them dark clouds rise,
As black as any crow?
They ’re the walls of hell, they’re the walls of hell,
and o’er them we must go.
1. original typing: theee
2. original typing error: Ifthink