House Carpenter or The Daemon Lover. Scottish song with a timeless warning. Ronnee Fullerton

House Carpenter or The Demon Lover! Traditional Scottish ballad. Arranged and performed by Ronnee Fullerton - voice, violin, piano, keyboards.
This song is called both House Carpenter and The Daemon Lover, along with some other names/titles. This popular ballad has its roots in Scotland and the 17th century broadside ballads which were the newspapers of the day, highlighting the latest scandals. The antagonist in the story suggests a deceptive pirate king who boasts of his wealth and the charms of his life to woo a naive young maid away from her house carpenter and child. Watch out for the charms of the bad boys! This young maiden pays a hefty price in the end and discovers that the choice that she made for the seemingly glamourous life on the seas was a mistake! A morality tale of the ages.
Storytelling like singing tales to entertain people was a daily event in the past, when live impromptu performance created an evening event for our ancestors to enjoy and learn life lessons.
It was fun playing the character roles using voice and instruments. Changing the character of my voice to personify the pirate king, maiden and narrator, and emphasizing the momentum of the story and emotions. I hope you enjoy!
Lyrics:
1. Well met, well met, my own true love,
Well met, well met, cried he!
I’ve just returned from the salt, salt sea.
All for the love of thee!
2. “I could have married a king’s daughter, dear,
She would have married me!
But I have forsaken her crowns of gold,
All for the love of thee.”
3. “Well, if you could have married a king’s daughter, dear,
I’m sure you are to blame.
For I am married to a house carpenter,
I find him a nice young man.”
4. “Ah, will you forsake your house carpenter,
And go along with me?
I’ll take you where the grass grows so green,
By the banks of the salt, salt sea.”
5. “Well, if I should forsake my house carpenter,
And go along with thee,
What have you got to maintain me on,
And keep me from poverty.”
6. “Six ships, six ships all out on the sea,
Seven more upon dry land,
One hundred and ten all brave sailor men,
Will be at your command.”
7. She picked up her own wee babe,
And kisses gave him three,
Said, “Stay right here with my house carpenter,
And keep him good company.”
8. Then she putted on her rich attire,
So glorious to behold,
And as she trod along her way
She shone like glittering gold.
9. Well, they’d not been gone but about two weeks,
I know it was not three,
When this fair lady began to weep,
She wept most bitterly.
10. “Ah, why do you weep, my fair young maid,
Weep you for your golden store,
Or do you weep for your house carpenter,
Who never you shall see anymore.
11. “I do not weep for my house carpenter,
Or for any golden store,
I do weep for my own wee babe,
Who never I shall see any more.”
12. Well, they’d not been gone but about three weeks,
I’m sure it was not four,
Our gallant ship sprang a leak and sank,
Never to rise anymore.
13. One time ‘round spun our gallant ship,
Two time ‘round spun she,
Three times ‘round spun our gallant ship,
And sank to the bottom of the sea.
14. What hills, what hills are those, my love,
That rise so fair and high?”
“Those are the hills of Heaven my love,
But not for you and I.”
15. “And what hills, what hills are those, my love,’
Those hills so dark and low?”
“Those are the hills of Hell, my love,
Where you and I must go.”

[@xenocrates2559]

Great version of this song. You really bring out the tragic nature of this tale.

[@nuancedmusings-ronneefullerton]

Thank you!

[@jamilahm1546]

I thought her lover was a ghost and lured her away to sea; where she was killed and they both end up in hell. The carpenter ended up comitting suicide and the wee babe to be raised an orphan. This is a great version btw!

[@nuancedmusings-ronneefullerton]

Thank you! As far as the story, I think there are many variants and interpretations. Your version of the story is legit!