The House Carpenter- (NY) DeMarsan broadside 1860
[The text was reprinted by Phillips Barry in the Journal of American Folklore Vol. 18, No. 70, July-Sept., 1905. De Marsan was a reissue of an earlier copy attributed to J. Andrews of New York, in the Harris collection at Brown University. Barry says this was printed "about 1860, by H. DeMarsan, 60 Chatham Street, New York, N.Y. The following title was also used:
Well Met, Well Met, My Own True Love
H. De Marsan, publisher, 60 Chatham Street, New-York., 1864
In his study of the origins of Bob Dylan's version of "The House Carpenter," Clinton Heylin notices a number of verses that show up in various renditions of this ballad in the U.S. that are not found in the De Marsan/J. Andrews broadside of the mid-1800s. He comments on this broadside saying,
"The so-called De Marsan broadside, actually first published by De Marsan's predecessor J. Andrews in New York circa 1857 - and rapidly adopted by American printers of songsters and broadsides like Delaney and Wehamn - seems to have played a large part in any mini-revival, at the same time loosening the grip of all previous templates on American tradition. Of the 200+ versions collected in America in the twentieth century, not even a handful omit this text's unmistakeable watermark."
R. Matteson 2013]
THE HOUSE CARPENTER
Well met, well met, my own true love
Long time have I been seeking thee
I'm lately come from the Salt Seas
And all for the sake, love, of thee
I might have married a king's daughter
You might have married her, cried she
For I am married to a house-carpenter
And a fine young man is he!
If you will forsake your House-Carpenter
And go along with me
I will take you to where the grass grows high
On the banks of old Tennessee!
If I forsake my House-Carpenter
And go along with thee
What have you got to keep me upon
And keep me from misery?
Says he, I've got six ships at sea
All sailing to dry land
One hundred & ten of your own countrymen
Love, they shall be at your command
She took her babe upon her knee
And kissed it one, two and three
Saying, Stay at home, my darling sweet babe
And keep your father's company!
They had not sailed four weeks or more
Four weeks, or scarcely three
When she thought of her darling sweet babe at home
And she wept most bitterly
Says he, "Are you weeping for gold, my love
Or are you weeping for fear
Or are you weeping for your House-Carpenter
That you left and followed me?
I am not weeping for gold she replied
Nor am I weeping for fear
But I am weeping alone for my sweet little babe
That I left with my house-carpenter
Oh, dry up your tears, my own true love
And cease your weeping, cried he
For soon you'll see your own happy home
On the banks of old Tennessee!
They had not sailed five weeks or more
Five weeks or scarcely four
When the ship struck a rock and sprang a leak
And they were never seen any more
A curse be on the sea-faring men
Oh cursed be their lives
For while they are robbing the House-Carpenter
And coaxing away their wives.
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Traditional Ballads in New England. II
by Phillips Barry
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 18, No. 70 (Jul. - Sep., 1905), pp. 191-214
XI. THE DEMON LOVER.
A. "The House-Carpenter," Broadside, printed about 1860, by H. DeMarsan, 6o Chatham Street, New York, N. Y. Transcribed by me, May 2I, 1904, from a copy in the collection of the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester, Mass.
1 "Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well met, well met !" cried he,
" For I've just returned from the Salt Sea,
And all for the love of thee! "
2 "I might have married the King's daughter, dear,- "
"You might have married her,--" cried she,
"For I am married to a House-Carpenter,
And a fine young man is he!"
3 If you will forsake your House-Carpenter,
And go along with me,
I will take you to where the grass grows high,
On the banks of old Tennessee!"
4 If I forsake my House-Carpenter,
And go along with thee,
What have you got to keep me upon,
And keep me from misery?"
5 Says he, "I've got six ships at sea,
All sailing to dry land,
One hundred and ten of your own countrymen,
Love, they shall be at your command!"
6 She took her babe upon her knee
And kissed it one, two and three,
Saying, -" Stay at home, my darling sweet babe,
And keep your father's company!"
7 They had not sailed four weeks or more,
Four weeks, or scarcely three,
When she thought of her darling sweet babe at home,
And she wept most bitterly.
8 Says he, -" Are you weeping for gold, my love,
Or are you weeping for fear,
Or are you weeping for your House-Carpenter,
That you left and followed me?"
9 "I am not weeping for gold," she replied,
"Nor am I weeping for fear,
But I am weeping alone for my sweet little babe,
That I left with my House-Carpenter."
10 "Oh, dry up your tears, my own true love,
And cease your weeping," - cried he,
"For soon you'll see your own happy home,
On the banks of old Tennessee!"
11 They had not sailed five weeks or more,
Five weeks, or scarcely four,
When the ship struck a rock and sprang a leak,
And they never were seen any more.
12 A curse be on the sea-faring men,
Oh, cursed be their lives,
For while they are robbing the House-Carpenter,
And coaxing away their wives.