HOUSE CARPENTER (traditional arr. Natalie Merchant on "The House Carpenter's Daughter)
Capo 3 Banjo intro: (play G)
(still banjo)
[G]"well met, well met[Cadd6]
and I know[G] true love
well met, well met", sa[Cadd6]id he
F ( see note)
"I'm just returning
and it's all for the love of t[G]hee"
[G]"come in, come in[Cadd6]
my own [G]true love
and have [G]a seat wi[Cadd6]th me
it's bee[F]n three-fourths
of a long, long year
G (Begin strumming)
since together we have been"
[G]"no I can't come in[Cadd6]
and I can'[G]t sit down
for I have but a mome[Cadd6]nt's time[G]
they say [F]that you're married
to a house carpenter
G (rest of the band comes in)
and your heart shall never be mine"
[G]"well I could have ma[Cadd6]rried
a king's[G] daughter fair
she would have m[Cadd6]ar-ried m[G]e
but I[F] forsaked upon
her crowns of gold
G (Fiddle comes in)
and it's all for the love of thee"
"now wil[G]l you forsake [Cadd6]on
your house[G] carpenter
and go[Cadd6] along with me?[G]
I'll[F] take you where
The grass grows green
On the banks of the bitter r[G]eeds"
Break/Fiddle Solo: G, Cadd6 G Cadd6 G F G
She pick'd[G] up her[Cadd6] wee little babe[G]
And kisses gave it t[Cadd6]hree say[G]ing,
"s[F]tay right here my darling little one
keep your papa company"[G]
Break/Fiddle Solo: (Like the first) G, Cadd6 G Cadd6 G F G
[G]Now they had not been[Cadd6]
On the ship tw[G]o weeks
I swear it was n[Cadd6]ot three[G]
When his tr[F]ue love began
To weep and moan
And she wept most bitte[G]rly
"no[G]w are you weeping[Cadd6]
for my silver [G]and gold
are you weepin[Cadd6]g for my store or are[G][F]
you weeping for that house carpenter
that you ne'er shall see no mo[G]re?"
[G]A curse, A curse[Cadd6]
on the sailor[G] she cried
a curse, a curs[Cadd6]e she swore[G]
"you robbe[F]d me of my sweet little babe
that I ne'er shall see no mo[G]re!"
Break/Fiddle Solo: G, Cadd6 G Cadd6 G F G
(Slower)
[G]well, they had not been[Cadd6]
on the ship t[G]hree weeks
I swear it was no[Cadd6]t four[G]
Unt[F]il there came a leak in the ship
G end.
And she sank to rise no more...
The guitar during this section does little variations. I suggest if playing by yourself play:
[Fadd9]Xx 32 13 3[F]211 32[Fmaj7]10 3211[F] [Fadd9] [F][Famj7][G]
EADGBe
To give it a more complete and richer sound.
Cadd6 x3203
Capo 3 Banjo intro: (play G)
(still banjo)
[G]"well met, well met[Cadd6]
and I know[G] true love
well met, well met", sa[Cadd6]id he
F ( see note)
"I'm just returning
and it's all for the love of t[G]hee"
[G]"come in, come in[Cadd6]
my own [G]true love
and have [G]a seat wi[Cadd6]th me
it's bee[F]n three-fourths
of a long, long year
G (Begin strumming)
since together we have been"
[G]"no I can't come in[Cadd6]
and I can'[G]t sit down
for I have but a mome[Cadd6]nt's time[G]
they say [F]that you're married
to a house carpenter
G (rest of the band comes in)
and your heart shall never be mine"
[G]"well I could have ma[Cadd6]rried
a king's[G] daughter fair
she would have m[Cadd6]ar-ried m[G]e
but I[F] forsaked upon
her crowns of gold
G (Fiddle comes in)
and it's all for the love of thee"
"now wil[G]l you forsake [Cadd6]on
your house[G] carpenter
and go[Cadd6] along with me?[G]
I'll[F] take you where
The grass grows green
On the banks of the bitter r[G]eeds"
Break/Fiddle Solo: G, Cadd6 G Cadd6 G F G
She pick'd[G] up her[Cadd6] wee little babe[G]
And kisses gave it t[Cadd6]hree say[G]ing,
"s[F]tay right here my darling little one
keep your papa company"[G]
Break/Fiddle Solo: (Like the first) G, Cadd6 G Cadd6 G F G
[G]Now they had not been[Cadd6]
On the ship tw[G]o weeks
I swear it was n[Cadd6]ot three[G]
When his tr[F]ue love began
To weep and moan
And she wept most bitte[G]rly
"no[G]w are you weeping[Cadd6]
for my silver [G]and gold
are you weepin[Cadd6]g for my store or are[G][F]
you weeping for that house carpenter
that you ne'er shall see no mo[G]re?"
[G]A curse, A curse[Cadd6]
on the sailor[G] she cried
a curse, a curs[Cadd6]e she swore[G]
"you robbe[F]d me of my sweet little babe
that I ne'er shall see no mo[G]re!"
Break/Fiddle Solo: G, Cadd6 G Cadd6 G F G
(Slower)
[G]well, they had not been[Cadd6]
on the ship t[G]hree weeks
I swear it was no[Cadd6]t four[G]
Unt[F]il there came a leak in the ship
G end.
And she sank to rise no more...
The guitar during this section does little variations. I suggest if playing by yourself play:
[Fadd9]Xx 32 13 3[F]211 32[Fmaj7]10 3211[F] [Fadd9] [F][Famj7][G]
EADGBe
To give it a more complete and richer sound.
Cadd6 x3203
