The House Carpenter- Ritchie/Watson (KY) 1963 REC
[From: Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson at Folk City, 1963, Smithsonian Folkways SF 40005. Doc Watson plays banjo and Jean Ritchie sings. About the recording at Folk City, she writes: my mother sang a different version, a sweeter tune. This one I heard most from Uncle Jason Ritchie and from my older sister Una.
This was recorded two years after her 1961 version, which was a different version that Jean wrote she learned from her father. Uncle Jason was a local ballad enthusiast and he also taught his daughter ballads. Jason was mention in Josephine McGill's Folk Songs of the Kentucky Mountains, where he was a local consultant.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
The House Carpenter- Jean Ritchie (KY) and Doc Watson (NC) 1963 recording.
Well, I once could have married the king's third son
And a fine young man was he
But now I'm married to a house carpenter
And a nice young man is he
And a nice young man is he
O will you forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me?
I will take you to where the grass grows green
On the banks of the river Dee
On the banks of the river Dee
What will you have to maintain me upon
To keep me from slavery?
Well, I have seven ships, they will soon be at land
And at your command shall be
And at your command shall be.
She took her two babes by their hand
And gave them kisses three
Saying – Stay at home, you darling little babes
Keep your father sweet company
Keep your father sweet company.
Now she dressed herself in her very best
Like a high-born lady was she
She shimmered and she shammered and she lightly stepped
As they walked by the banks of the sea
As they walked by the banks of the sea
Well, she hadn't been gone but a short, short time
Until she wept full sore
I would give all the gold in this round world
Just to see my babes once more
Just to see my babes once more
Well, if you had all the gold and the silver too
That ever crossed the sea
You never would be at land anymore
And your babes you'll never more see
And your babes you'll never more see
O they hadn't been sailing but a short, short time
'Bout two weeks, three or four
When the ship sprang a leak and they were doomed
And they were far away from the shore
And they were far away from the shore
I see bright hills of Heaven, my dear
Where angels come and go
I see bright hills- that's Hell, my dear
Where you and I must go
Where you and I must go.
O I wish I was back to my house carpenter
I'm sure he would treat me well
But here I am in the raging sea
And my soul is bound for Hell
And my soul is bound for Hell.