The earliest version of the ballad now usually known as “The House Carpenter” was in the Pepys collection as “ A Warning for Married Women”.
Folksong collector, Francis James Child traced the song back to a London broadside ballad licensed “21st February 1657”
“The House Carpenter” became popular during the 1960's and made its way into the repertoires of many well-known performers during the folk revival, notably Joan Baez and Doc Watson.
THE HOUSE CARPENTER
Danaidh B Covers Doc Watson’s Version
Lyrics at the bottom
Otherwise known as the ‘Demon Lover’ or ‘James Harris’ the old lover who came to steal (Jane Reynolds) the carpenters wife. ‘Demon James Harris’ was a rich Seaman/Sailor who managed to lull poor sweet Jane into running away from her husband and children to sail to a heavenly island, in love, to live in peace, forever.
The woman sees the beautiful island far on the horizon. Her lover ‘the Demon Lover tells her “that is Heaven”, but their path lies in a twisted fate. He then turns the ship an awkward turn “and sprung a leak in the bottom of the ship and it sunk for to rise no more”
Lyrics
“It’s you, it’s you! my old true love, it’s you” said he,
“I’ve just returned from the salt, salt sea, and it’s all for the love of thee”
“I could have married the kings daughter fair, she would have married me
But I have forsaken her crown of gold and it’s all for the love of thee”
“Come in, come in, my old true love, come in” she said to him.
“For it’s been three fourths of a long, long year, since together that we have been”.
“No I can’t come in, nor I can’t sit down, for I have but a moment’s time,
Now they say that you’re married to a house carpenter, and your heart will never be mine”
“Will you come with me, my old true love?
“Oh come with me” said he,
“I’ll take you to where the grass grows green on the banks of the bittery”
And then she picked up her sweet little babe, and kisses she gave it three,
“Stay at home my sweet darlin’ little babe, and keep your papa company”
Then he jumped on a milk white steed, and her on a dapple grey, then they rode until they came to the banks of the sea, three hours before the break of day.
They had not been on the ship two weeks, I’m sure it was not three, until his true love began to weep and to mourn, and she wept most bitterly.
“Is it for my silver you weep? Or is it for my store? Or is it for that house carpenter, whose face you’ll never see no more?”
“It’s neither for your silver I weep, it’s neither for your store,
But it’s all for the sake of my sweet little babe, whose face I’ll never see no more”
Then a curse, a curse to the sailor she cried, a curse she swore,
“you’ve robbed me of my house carpenter, whose face I’ll never see no more”.
They had not been on the ship three weeks, I’m sure it was not four,
Until they sprung a leak in the bottom of the ship and it sunk for not rise no more…