House Carpenter
Nickel Creek Lyrics

Well met, well met said an old true love
Greeting the girl he loved, who he hadn't seen for a long time.

Well met, well met said he
Replying to the greeting of the girl he loved.

I've just returned from the salt, salt sea
He just returned from sailing the sea.

And it's all for the love of thee
He sailed the sea for the girl he loves.

Come in, come in, my old true love
Asking the girl he loves to come inside his home.

And have a seat by me
Inviting her to sit next to him.

It's been three-fourths of a long, long year
It's been a very long time since they have seen each other.

Since together we have been
They haven't been together in a long time.

I can't come in and I can't sit down
The girl he loves cannot go inside his home and stay with him.

For I've only a moments time
She has only a short amount of time.

They say you're married to a house carpenter
She has heard that the man she loves has married another woman.

And your heart will never be mine
The man she loves' heart will never belong to her.

I could have married the kings daughter fair
She could have been with someone else.

And she would have married me
She would have been able to marry someone else.

But I have forsaken her crowns of gold
She chose the man she loved over the wealth and security offered by others.

And it's all for the love of thee
She chooses the man she loves due to the strength of her love for him.

Now will you forsake your house carpenter
Does he love her enough to leave his wife?

And go along with me
Will he come with her due to his love for her?

I'll take you where the grass grows green
She promises him a better life.

On the banks of the deep blue sea
Where they can be together in peace.

Then she picked up her darling little babe
She brings their child with them, but leaves him behind before they leave.

And kisses she gave it three
She said goodbye to their child three times.

Saying stay right here, my darling little babe
She tells their child to stay and take care of the father he will never see again.

And keep your papa company
She asks their child to keep the memory of his father alive and keep him company.

They had not been on the ship 2 weeks
Just two short weeks later after they leave her husband behind,

I'm sure it was not three
Only a short time had passed,

When the old true love began to weep and to mourn
The man she loved began to grieve.

And she wept most bitterly
She cried a lot.

Saying are you weeping for my silver and my gold
Asking if he's crying for the wealth he left behind.

Saying are you weeping for my store
Asking if he's crying for their child he will never see again.

Or are you weeping for your house carpenter
Asking if he cried for the man she left behind.

Whose face you'll never see no more
He will never see her husband again.

A curse, a curse to the sailor she cried
She curses the sailor who took them away from her.

A curse, a curse she swore
Promising to curse them for what they did to her.

You robbed me of my darling little babe
He took away their child from her.

That I shall never see no more
She will never see her child again.

They had not been on the ship three weeks
Only a few weeks later,

I'm sure it was not four
It wasn't very long after their departure,

When there came a leak on the bottom of the ship
Their ship began to sink due to an unexpected leak.

And sank them for to rise no more
The ship sank and they all perished.