The House Carpenter- Tucker (MD) pre1944 Carey
[From: Maryland Folk Legends and Folk Songs, Carey; 1973. Mrs. Alice Tucker was born in 1860. Her songs and ballads were preserved by her daughter and granddaughter June Chance.
R. Matteson 2013, 2016]
The House Carpenter- Sung by June Chance and her mother as remembered from Mrs. Alice Tucker of Davidsonville, MD before 1944. Collected by George Carey.
1. Well met, well met, my old true love,
Well met, well met, says he,
I have just returned from the salt salt sea
And 'twas all for the love of thee.
2. "I might have married a king's daughter dear;"
"Well you might well have married," cried she,
"For now I am married to a house carpenter,
And a nice young man is he. "
3. "O will you forsake your house carpenter
And come along with me?
I will take you where the grass grows green
On the banks of sweet Melody. "
4. "If I forsake my house carpenter
And go along with thee,
What have you to maintain me on
To keep me from slavery?"
5. '"II you will forsake your house carpenter,
And go along with me,
Six hundred men of your own native land
Shall keep you from slavery."
6. She dressed herself in rich attire
Most costly to behold,
And as she marched down the street
She shone like glittering gold.
?. She took her baby all in her arms
And kisses she gave it by three,
Saying, "Stay here at home, my own precious babe,
And keep your father's company. "
8. They had not sailed but one or two days,
f"m sure it were not three,
Before she began for to weep and to moan
And she wept most bitterly.
9. "Is it gold that you weep for?
Or is it for me?
Or is it the robbing of your house carpenter,
And leaving your sweet baby?"
10. "It is not gold that I weep for,
Nor is it for thee,
But it is for the robbing of my house carpenter,
And leaving my sweet baby."
11. She had not been on sea three weeks,
I'm sure it was not four,
Until the ship sprang a leak,
And sank to rise no more.
12. "Curse be upon a seafaring man,
Curses be upon him, " cried she;
"All for the robbing of my house carpenter,
And the leaving of my sweet baby."