The Ship's Carpenter- Reber (UT) 1947 Hubbard A; Bronson 96
[From: Ballads and Songs from Utah. This is inexplicably titled, The Ship's Carpenter, I assume by Hubbard, since there is no mention of a ship's carpenter in this version. There are several "ship's Carpenter" names in US version but they are rare-- In the UK the title is standard.
Hubbard's notes: Fife lists one version St. George, Utah, recorded for the Archive of Folk song, Library of Congress. Five of the seven additional texts from Utah are closely similar.
R. Matteson 2013]
A. "The Ship's Carpenter." Sung by Mrs. Rosina Staley Reber of Santa Clara, Utah, she learned it when she was twelve years old from Mrs. Marian Hafen.
1. "I've just returned from the salt, salt sea,
My own true love for to see,
But she was married to a house carpenter,
And a nice young man was he.
2. "If you'll forsake your house carpenter,
And go along with me,
I'll take you to the place where the grass grows green
On the banks of the sweet Treelee."
3. "If I'll forsake my house carpenter
And go along with thee,
What have you to maintain me upon,
And to keep me from slavery?"
4. "I've seven ships just sailed to shore
And seven more at sea,
Three hundred and ten brave, jolly, brave men,
And they all shall wait on thee."
5. She called her babe unto her knees
And gave it kisses three,
Saying, "Stay at home, my sweet little babe,
Keep your father's company."
6. She dressed herself in rich array
Most beauteous to behold,
And as she walked the streets along,
She shone like the glittering gold.
7. They had no more than sailed two weeks,
It cannot be 'twas three,
Before the lady began for to weep,
And she wept most bitterly.
8. "What do you weep for gold?" he cried,
"Or do you weep for fear,
Or do you weep for the house carpenter
That you left when you sailed out here?"
9. "I do not weep for gold," she cried,
"Nor do I weep for fear,
But I do weep for the sweet little babe
That I left when we sailed out here."
10. Three times around went the gallant ship,
Three times around went she,
Three time[s] around went the brave-hearted men,
And they sank to the bottom of the sea.
11. There is a curse to the seafaring men,
And to this lady's life,
For the robbing of the house carpenter
And the coaxing away his wife.