The House Carpenter- Keene (VA) 1936 Scarborough D
[From Scarborough's A Song Catcher in the Southern Mountains, 1937. Scarborough died in 1936 and the book was already completed. Bronson dates the versions 1931; for now I'll leave them pre1936. Her notes follow.
I'll assume Murphy Hollow is in Virginia---Scarborough doesn't say and she's giving all Virginia versions.
R. Matteson 2013]
Scarborough: Laura Keene, of Murphy Hollow, knew this as one of the "love songs" that she considered not quite appropriate to sing, but perhaps she was mole lenient to this, since it was a warning to married women. Her variant adds the foreboding final stanzas about heaven and hell, and the stream is known as the Sweet Marie.
(D) The House Carpenter
Well met, well met, said my old true love,
Well met, well met, said she.
I've just returned from the salt, salt sea,
And it's all for the sake of thee.
Go way, go way, you cruel-hearted man,
Return to me your hand,
For I am married to a house carpenter
And I think he's a fine young man.
Won't you 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 Marie.
She dressed herself in silks so fine,
She'd 'a' better been staying at home.
She walked right out before that man,
Like glittering gold did shine.
She picked up her two little babes
Kisses she gave them three.
Lie there, lie there, my tender little babes,
Keep papa good company.
She were not gone about two weeks,
I'm sure hit was not three,
Till she begin to weep for her tender little babes
And she wept most bitterly.
Are you a-weeping for your house carpenter?
Or are you weeping for store?
I am a-weeping for my two little babes
Whose face I'll see no more.
What hills, what hills, is that, my love,
That looks as white as snow?
That is the hills of heaven, love,
Where you and I can't go.
What hills, what hills, is that my love
That looks so dark and low?
That is the hills of hell, my love,
Where you and I must go.
They were gone about three weeks,
I'm sure it was not four,
Till come a leak in the bottom of the ship
And it sunk to rise no more.
We see that in this variant there are two babes instead of one. Despite her spirited rejoinder at the beginning, the wife elopes with the sailor after all.