House Carpenter
Tales of Love and Loss: House Carpenter's Journey
Lyrics
Well met, well met said an old true love
Expressing a cheerful greeting from an old true love.
Well met, well met said he
Reciprocal greeting from the old true love.
I've just returned from the salt, salt sea
The speaker has returned from a challenging experience at sea, motivated by love.
And it's all for the love of thee
Everything endured was for the sake of the person being addressed.
Come in, come in, my old true love
Inviting the old true love to come in and sit.
And have a seat by me
Welcoming the old true love to take a seat.
It's been three-fourths of a long, long year
Highlighting the lengthy separation between the speaker and the old true love.
Since together we have been
Emphasizing the extended duration since they were last together.
I can't come in and I can't sit down
Expressing a limitation on time, unable to stay for long.
For I've only a moments time
Reiterating the constraint on time.
They say you're married to a house carpenter
Revelation that the old true love is reportedly married to a house carpenter.
And your heart will never be mine
The speaker's heart is believed to be unattainable due to marriage.
I could have married the kings daughter fair
Reflecting on a missed opportunity to marry a king's daughter for the sake of the old true love.
And she would have married me
Claiming a rejection of material wealth for the love of the addressed person.
But I have forsaken her crowns of gold
Describing the forsaking of royal riches for the sake of love.
And it's all for the love of thee
Reiterating the sacrifices made for the love of the old true love.
Now will you forsake your house carpenter
Posing a question about abandoning the house carpenter for the speaker.
And go along with me
Desire to take the old true love to a picturesque location by the sea.
I'll take you where the grass grows green
Promising a beautiful environment by the deep blue sea.
On the banks of the deep blue sea
A romantic proposal to escape together.
Then she picked up her darling little babe
The old true love holds their baby while contemplating the decision.
And kisses she gave it three
Expressing affection for the baby through kisses.
Saying stay right here, my darling little babe
Instructing the baby to stay with its father while the old true love considers leaving.
And keep your papa company
Expressing concern for the baby's well-being.
They had not been on the ship 2 weeks
Noting a short time on the ship before emotions intensify.
I'm sure it was not three
Asserting that the emotional turmoil doesn't match the short duration.
When the old true love began to weep and to mourn
The old true love begins to weep and mourn, indicating internal conflict.
And she wept most bitterly
Expressing intense and bitter weeping.
Saying are you weeping for my silver and my gold
Asking the reason for weeping, questioning if it's about material possessions.
Saying are you weeping for my store
Speculating on the cause of weeping, including valuable possessions.
Or are you weeping for your house carpenter
Directly linking the weeping to the house carpenter, suggesting regret.
Whose face you'll never see no more
Confirming the absence of the house carpenter's face forever.
A curse, a curse to the sailor she cried
Cursing the sailor, likely the house carpenter, for taking away the baby.
A curse, a curse she swore
Repeating the curse with determination.
You robbed me of my darling little babe
Accusing the sailor of robbing the speaker of the baby.
That I shall never see no more
Expressing the permanence of not seeing the baby again.
They had not been on the ship three weeks
Noting another short time on the ship before a tragic event.
I'm sure it was not four
Asserting that the tragic event occurred quickly.
When there came a leak on the bottom of the ship
Describing a leak in the ship leading to its sinking.
And sank them for to rise no more
Concluding that the ship sank and won't rise again.
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