The House Carpenter tab by Joan Baez

Solo tabs

From the album Joan Baez in Concert

[Intro]

A minorAm  G+G  A minorAm


[Verse 1]
   A minorAm    G+G    A minorAm
"Well met, well met, my own true love,
        G+G      A minorAm
 Well met, well met," cried he.
       C majorC        G+G     E minorEm
"I've just returned from the salt, salt sea
A minorAm     G+G    A minorAm
All for the love of thee."

[Verse 2]
 A minorAm      G+G      A minorAm
"I could have married the King's daughter dear,
A minorAm       G+G    A minorAm
She would have married me.
A minorAm      C majorC     G+G    E minorEm
But I have forsaken her crowns of gold
A minorAm     G+G    A minorAm
All for the love of thee."


[Verse 3]
A minorAm            G+G      A minorAm
"Well, if you could have married the King's daughter dear,
       G+G   A minorAm
I'm sure you are to blame,
     C majorC      G+G      E minorEm
For I am married to a house carpenter,
  A minorAm     G+G     A minorAm
And find him a nice young man."


[Verse 4]
A minorAm        G+G     A minorAm
"Oh, will you forsake your house carpenter
    G+G     A minorAm
And go along with me?
A minorAm        C majorC     G+G      E minorEm
I'll take you to where the grass grows green,
    A minorAm      G+G     A minorAm   G+G A minorAm
To the banks of the salt, salt sea."

[Verse 5]
   A minorAm       G+G    A minorAm
"Well, if I should forsake my house carpenter
    G+G     A minorAm
And go along with thee,
       C majorC     G+G    E minorEm
What have you got to maintain me on
A minorAm        G+G  A minorAm
And keep me from poverty?"


[Verse 6]
   A minorAm    G+G     A minorAm
"Six ships, six ships all out on the sea,
A minorAm      G+G    A minorAm
Seven more upon dry land,
A minorAm       C majorC    G+G      E minorEm
One hundred and ten all brave sailor men
   A minorAm   G+G   A minorAm
Will be at your command."


[Verse 7]
A minorAm     G+G   A minorAm
She picked up her own wee babe,
A minorAm   G+G    A minorAm
Kisses gave him three,
         C majorC      G+G     E minorEm
Said "Stay right here with my house carpenter
  A minorAm      G+G   A minorAm
And keep him good company.


[Verse 8]
   A minorAm    G+G    A minorAm
Then she putted on her rich attire,
A minorAm     G+G  A minorAm
So glorious to behold.
      C majorC   G+G    E minorEm
And as she trod along her way,
  A minorAm       G+G     A minorAm
She shone like the glittering gold.


[Verse 9]
A minorAm          G+G     A minorAm
Well, they'd not been gone but about two weeks,
A minorAm    G+G    A minorAm
I know it was not three.
A minorAm       C majorC   G+G   E minorEm
When this fair lady began to weep,
  A minorAm    G+G   A minorAm
She wept most bitterly.


[Verse 10]
   A minorAm    G+G    A minorAm
"Ah, why do you weep, my fair young maid,
A minorAm        G+G   A minorAm
Weep it for your golden store?
A minorAm    C majorC       G+G      E minorEm
Or do you weep for your house carpenter
A minorAm         G+G   A minorAm
Who never you shall see anymore?"

[Verse 11]
A minorAm    G+G      A minorAm
"I do not weep for my house carpenter
A minorAm     G+G   A minorAm
Or for any golden store.
A minorAm  C majorC      G+G    E minorEm
I do weep for my own wee babe,
  A minorAm      G+G    A minorAm
Who never I shall see anymore."


[Verse 12]
   A minorAm       G+G    A minorAm
Well, they'd not been gone but about three weeks,
A minorAm     G+G    A minorAm
I'm sure it was not four.
A minorAm     C majorC       G+G    E minorEm
Our gallant ship sprang a leak and sank,
A minorAm    G+G    A minorAm
Never to rise anymore.


[Verse 13]
A minorAm    G+G       A minorAm
One time around spun our gallant ship,
A minorAm     G+G     A minorAm
Two times around spun she,
A minorAm      C majorC       G+G    E minorEm
Three times around spun our gallant ship
  A minorAm     G+G       A minorAm
And sank to the bottom of the sea.


[Verse 14]
A minorAm        G+G     A minorAm
"What hills, what hills are those, my love,
A minorAm      G+G    A minorAm
That rise so fair and high?"
A minorAm       C majorC    G+G     E minorEm
"Those are the hills of heaven, my love,
  A minorAm   G+G    A minorAm
But not for you and I."


[Verse 15]
 A minorAm          G+G     A minorAm
"And what hills, what hills are those, my love,
A minorAm       G+G    A minorAm
Those hills so dark and low?"
A minorAm       C majorC    G+G    E minorEm
"Those are the hills of hell, my love,
   A minorAm    G+G   A minorAm