The House Carpenter tab by Joan Baez

From the album Joan Baez in Concert

[Intro]

Am   G   Am


[Verse 1]
      Am        G       Am
"Well met, well met, my own true love,
                G           Am
 Well met, well met," cried he.
             C               G          Em
"I've just returned from the salt, salt sea
Am          G       Am
All for the love of thee."

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


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


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


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


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


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


[Verse 8]
      Am        G       Am
Then she putted on her rich attire,
Am          G    Am
So glorious to behold.
           C     G        Em
And as she trod along her way,
    Am             G          Am
She shone like the glittering gold.


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


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

[Verse 11]
Am        G           Am
"I do not weep for my house carpenter
Am         G      Am
Or for any golden store.
Am   C           G       Em
I do weep for my own wee babe,
    Am            G       Am
Who never I shall see anymore."


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


[Verse 13]
Am        G              Am
One time around spun our gallant ship,
Am         G          Am
Two times around spun she,
Am           C              G       Em
Three times around spun our gallant ship
    Am          G             Am
And sank to the bottom of the sea.


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


[Verse 15]
 Am                   G         Am
"And what hills, what hills are those, my love,
Am             G        Am
Those hills so dark and low?"
Am             C        G        Em
"Those are the hills of hell, my love,
     Am       G      Am