The House Carpenter's Wife- High (AR) 1951 Bronson 98
[From LC/AFS rec. No. 10,818(B10), transcribed by Carlisle/Bronson in his TTCB III, 1966, no. 98. See also Ozark Folk Songs online and the Wolf Collection (their shortened version of High's singing, recorded in 1959, is below).
When Fred High was around 73, he included this ballad in his songbook, "Old, Old Folk Songs" which was published around 1951 (I have a copy) about the same time he recorded this version. High's own transcription begins:
"Well mad, well mad, my owne true love,
Well mad said he."
Either he fixed the ballad up or wrote it down wrong-- probably the latter :) Apparently "Mad" was a proper name in High's version. Here's more from Parler (recorded Oct. 20, 1953; Reel 156 Item 4):
Comment on The House Carpenter (Fred was singing this just for fun, but I recorded some of the last stanzas in order to get his misconception of "Well met, well met" on the tape. For the entire ballad c f. Reel .)
MC Parler: What did you say her name was?
Fred: Matt.
MCParler: And what did you say you thought it was to start with?
Fred: When I started in, "Well Matt," he said to her you know. (Fred told me before he started singing that he had just figured out what her name was - that he used to think it was Med! ) So he sings the first line: Well, Matt, well, Matt, my own true love.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
"The House Carpenter's Wife," or "The Daemon Lover"- Sung by Fred High, High, Ark., March 20, 1951. Collected by Mrs. Irene Carlisle.
1. Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well met, well met, says he;
I'm just returning from the salty water sea
And it's all for the sake of you,
And it's all for the sake of thee.
2. I once could have married a king's daughter O,
And she would have married me.
But I've just received [for refused?] the rich crown of gold,
And it's all for the sake of you--
And it's all for the sake of thee.
3. Well. if you could have married a king's daughter O,
I'm sure you are to blame,
For I have married a house carpenter
And I think he's a nice young man--
And I think he's a nice young man.
4. Will you leave your own true love
And go along with me?
I'll take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of sweet Willie--
On the banks of sweet Willie.
5. What have you got to maintain me on,
Or keep me from slavery?
6. I have seventeen fine ships on board,
Seventeen boatsmens or more,
Seventeen that's a-sailing for sea,
That shall be at your command--
That shall be at your command.
7. She called her babe all to her knee,
And kisses she give him three,
Says, Stay at home, my sweet little babe,
Keep your poppy good company--
Keep your poppy good company.
8. She dressed herself all neat and clean,
All vested o'er with green, [1]
Every town that she passed through
They would take her to be some queen,
They would take her to be some queen.
9. They hadn't been on sea two weeks,
I'm sure it was not three,
Till this young lady begin to weep.
And she wept most bitterly--
And she wept most bitterly.
10. Are you weeping for silver or for gold,
Or are you weeping for fear?
Or are you weeping for the house carpcnter
That you left when you come with me here--
That you left when you come with me here?
11. I'm am not weeping for silver or for gold,
Or I am not a-weeping for fear,
But I am weeping for the sweet little babe
That I left when I come with you here--
That I never shall see any more.
12. They hadn't been (gone) on sea three weeks,
I'm sure it was not four,
Till this young lady she sprang from the ship,
And she sank for to rise no more--
And she sank for to rise no more.
13. A curse, a curse to all sea-men,
A curse, a curse, cried she,
You've robbed me of my sweet little babe,
And stoled my life away--
And stoled my life away.
1. originally-- fested
________________________________________
HOUSE CARPENTER (JAMES HARRIS)
Sung by: Fred High
Recorded in High, AR 8/26/59 by John Quincy Wolf, Jr., The John Quincy Wolf Folklore Collection
Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas
"Well met, well met, my own true love.
Well met, well met," says he.
"I'm just returning from a saltwater sea,
And it's all for the sake of you;
And it's all for the sake of thee.
"I once could have married a King's daughter, oh,
And she would have married me,
But I've just received a rich crown of gold,
And it's all for the sake of thee;
And it's all for the sake of you."
"Well, if you could have married a King's daughter, oh,
I'm sure you are to blame,
For I have married a house carpenter,
And I think he's a nice young man;
And I think he is a nice young man."
"Will you leave your own true love
And go along with me?
I'll take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of Sweet Willie,
On the banks of Sweet Willie."
"What have you got to maintain me on
Or keep me from slavery?"
"I have seventeen fine ships on board,
Seventeen boatsmens or more:
Seventeen that's sailing for shore,
That shall be at your command,
That shall be at your command."