The House Carpenter- Toothman (WV) 1957 Musick A; Bronson 79
[From: Ballads and Folksongs from West Virginia by Ruth Ann Musick; The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 70, No. 277 (Jul. - Sep., 1957), pp. 247-261. Her notes follow.
R. Matteson 2013]
13. "The House Carpenter" (James Harris [The Daemon Lover], Child 243) [17]
13.1. Contributed by George R. Jefferson of Benton's Ferry, who learned the melody and words from his uncle, Alex Toothman of Farmington. Bayard says of this tune that it is "quite unusual for 'The House Carpenter,'" and that it is interesting in its own right, "since it is a remarkable example of a 'link' between two very distinct and different versions of a common British air. One of these versions, in the South, generally goes to the forms of 'Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight,' and the other is known everywhere to 'Lord Lovel'." As the text is more or less identical with the ones usually collected, only the first twelve verses are given here (see Ex. 19.)
(1) "Well met, well met, my old true love,
Well met, well met," cried he.
"For it's I have crossed the old salt sea
And all for the love of thee- ee- ee
And it's all for the love of thee."
(2) "Oh, I could have married a king's daughter dear,
And fain would she had me;
But I have deserted both silver and gold,
And it's all for the love of thee- ee- ee,
And it's all for the love of thee."
(3) "If you could have married a king's daughter dear,
I am sure I'm not to blame,
For I have married a house carpenter,
And I'm sure he's a fine young man- man- man,
And I'm sure he's a fine young man."
(4) "If you'll desert your house carpenter
And go along with me,
I will take you to where the grass grows green
On the banks of the sweet Willie-ee -ee,
On the banks of the sweet Willie."
(5) "If I desert my house carpenter
And go along with thee,
What have you got to maintain me on
And keep me from slavery-ee--ee,
And keep me from slavery?"
(6) "If you'll desert your house carpenter,
And go along with me,
I've five hundred and ten brave, bold seamen,
And they all shall wait on thee-ee-ee,
And they all shall wait on thee!"
(7) She pick-ed up her wee little babe
And she gave it kisses three,
Saying, "You must stay with your papa dear,
And keep him company-ee-ee,
And keep him company."
(8) They had not been at sea two weeks,
I'm sure it was not three,
Until this fair maiden began to weep,
And she wept most bitterly- ee- ee,
And she wept most bitterly.
(9) "Oh, is it for my gold that you weep,
Or is it for my store?
Or is it for that house carpenter
That you'll never see any more- more- more,
That you'll never see any more?"
(10) "It is not for your gold that I weep,
Nor is it for your store,
But it is for that sweet, little babe
That I'll never see any more- more- more,
That I'll never see any more!"
(11) They had not been at sea three weeks,
I am sure it was not four,
Till the old salt ship, she sprang a leak,
And she sank to rise no more- more- more,
And she sank to rise no more.
(12) Well, cur'sed[1] be a sailor's lot,
Well, cur'sed be his wife,
For he has deprived me of my house carpenter,
And deprived me of my life- life -life,
And deprived me of my life.
1. curs-ed