The Ballad of the House Carpenter- (PA) 1866 Taylor
[From: The Story of Kennett (Square, PA) - Page 416, 1866, by Bayard Taylor. No information was given about the source of this version which appears to be from tradition. It is not a copy of the Philadelphia broadside c. 1858. It's valuable because it clearly shows the first two lines as a dialogue.
Near the end of the book, The Story of Kennett (Square, PA) - Page 416, 1866, Bayard Taylor comes his version of the House Carpenter.
R. Matteson 2013]
Thereupon, after shaking herself, gravely composing her face, and clearing her throat, she began, in a high, shrill, piercing voice, rocking her head to the peculiar lilt of the words, and interpolating short explanatory remarks, to sing—
"THE BALLAD OF THE HOUSE-CARPENTER"
"She says, —
'Well-met, well-met, my own true-love!'
'Well-met, well-met, cried he;
For 't is I have returned from the salt, salt sea,
And it's all for the love of thee!'
" 'It 's I might ha' married a king's daughter fair,'
"He goes on sayin', —
'And fain would she ha' married me,
But it's I have refused those crowns of gold,
And it's all for the love of thee!'
"Then she,—
" 'If you might ha' married a king's daughter fair,'
I think you are for to blame;
For it 'a I have married a house-carpenter,
And I think he's a fine young man!'
("So look out, Mark! and remember, all o' you, that they're talkin' turn about; and he begins —)
"'If you 'll forsake your house-carpenter
And go along with me,
I'll take you to where the grass grows green
On the banks of the sweet Wil-lee!'
" 'If I forsake my house-carpenter,
And go along with thee,
It's what have you got for to maintain me upon,
And to keep me from slave-ree?'
"'It's I have sixteen ships at sea,
All sailing for dry land,
And four-and-twenty sailors all on board
Shall be at your command!'
"She then took up her lovely little babe,
And she gave it kisses three;
'Lie still, lie still, my lovely little babe,
And keep thy father compa-nee!'
She dressed herself in rich array,
And she walked in high degree,
And the four-and-twenty sailors took 'em on board,
And they sailed for the open sea!
"They had not been at sea two weeks,
And I'm sure it was not three,
Before this maid she began for to weep,
And she wept most bitter-lee.
"' It's do you weep for your gold?' cries he;
'Or do you weep for your store,
Or do you weep for your house-carpenter
You never shall see any more?'
"'I do not weep for my gold,' cries she,
'Nor I do not weep for my store,
But it's I do weep for my lovely little babe,
I never shall see any more!'
"They had not been at sea three weeks,
And I'm sure it was not four,
When the vessel it did spring a leak,
And it sank to rise no more!"
("Now, Mark, here comes the Moral:)
"Oh, cruel be ye, sea-farin' men,
Oh, cruel be your lives, —
A-robbing of the house-carpenters,
And a-taking of their wives!"