House Carpenter

Here's a story 'bout a ghost come back from out in the sea, come to take his bride away from the house carpenter.

"Well met¹, well met, my own, true love."

"Well met, well met," cried she.

"I've just returned from the salt, salt sea

And it's all for the love of thee."

"I could have married a king's daughter there,

She would have married me,

But I have forsaken my king's daughter there,

It's all for the love of thee."

"Well, if you could have married a king's daughter there,

I'm sure you're the one to blame

For I am married to a house carpenter

And I'm a-sure he's a fine, young man."

"Forsake, forsake your house carpenter

And come away with me.

I'll take you to where the green grass grows

On the shores of sunny Italy."

So up she picked her babies three

And give them kisses, one, two, three,

Saying, "Take good care of your daddy while I'm gone

And keep him good company."

Well, they were sailing about two weeks –

I'm sure it was not three –

When the younger of the girls², she came on deck,

Saying wants company.

"Well, are you weeping for your house and home

Or are you weeping for your babe?"

"Well, I'm not weeping for my house carpenter,

I'm weeping for my babies three."

"Oh, what are those hills yonder, my love?

They look as white as snow."

"Those are the hills of heaven, my love,

You and I'll never know."

"What are those hills yonder, my love?

They look as dark as night."

"Those are the hills of hell-fire, my love,

Where you and I will unite."

Oh, twice around went the gallant ship –

I'm sure it was not three –

When the ship all of a sudden, it sprung a leak

And it drifted to the bottom of the sea.

¹ I believe that the phrase "well met" here comes from the archaic English idiom "Hail fellow well met". It seems that it is being used as a greeting, said first by the ghost and then to the ghost by the woman.

² It is not clear who "the girls" is supposed to refer to since, following the story-line, the children were left behind and the only other "girl" on the ship is the woman who left her home to go with the ghost. Perhaps the ship is full of passengers who are similarly descending to Hell.