HOUSE CARPENTER (traditional arr. Natalie Merchant on "The House Carpenter's Daughter)
Tabbed by Izzylou

Capo 3 Banjo intro: (play G)
(still banjo)
G                     Cadd6
"well met, well met
          G 
and I know true love
                       Cadd6
well met, well met", said he
        F*                                (* see note)
"I'm just returning

from the salt, salt sea
                              G
and it's all for the love of thee"

G                     Cadd6
"come in, come in
       G
my own true love
         G        Cadd6          
and have a seat with me
        F
it's been three-fourths

of a long, long year
                        G            (Begin strumming)
since together we have been"

G                     Cadd6
"no I can't come in
          G
and I can't sit down
                     Cadd6            G
for I have but a moment's time
         F
they say that you're married
 
to a house carpenter
                               G         (rest of the band comes in)
and your heart shall never be mine"

G                    Cadd6
"well I could have married
        G 
a king's daughter fair
                Cadd6    G
she would have mar-ried me
     F
but I forsaked upon

her crowns of gold
                              G         (Fiddle comes in)
and it's all for the love of thee"

        G             Cadd6
"now will you forsake on
          G
your house carpenter
      Cadd6          G
and go along with me?
    F
I'll take you where

The grass grows green
                            G
On the banks of the bitter reeds"

Break/Fiddle Solo: G, Cadd6   G     Cadd6   G   F        G

          G      Cadd6                  G
She pick'd up her wee little babe
                    Cadd6   G
And kisses gave it three saying,
  F
"stay right here my darling little one
                              G
keep your papa company"

Break/Fiddle Solo: (Like the first) G, Cadd6   G   Cadd6     G     F       G

G                           Cadd6
Now they had not been
              G
On the ship two weeks
                Cadd6     G
I swear it was not three
           F
When his true love began

To weep and moan
                       G
And she wept most bitterly

   G                 Cadd6
"now are you weeping
              G
for my silver and gold
              Cadd6                G           F
are you weeping for my store or are

you weeping for that house carpenter
                              G
that you ne'er shall see no more?"

G               Cadd6
A curse, A curse
             G
on the sailor she cried
               Cadd6           G      
a curse, a curse she swore
          F                       
"you robbed me of my sweet little babe
                            G
that I ne'er shall see no more!"

Break/Fiddle Solo:  G, Cadd6    G     Cadd6    G     F      G

(Slower)
G                            Cadd6 
well, they had not been
             G
on the ship three weeks
                 Cadd6  G
I swear it was not four
   F
Until there came a leak in the ship
                          G             end.
And she sank to rise no more...

* The guitar during this section does little variations. I suggest if playing by yourself play:
Fadd9        F         Fmaj7      F        Fadd9      F    Famj7      G
Xx 32 13    3211     3210     3211          
EADGBe
To give it a more complete and richer sound.

Cadd6  x3203