• Song:

    House Carpenter

  • Artist:

    Nickel Creek

  • Album:

    This Side

This gives a little variation if you're doing this solo acoustic.

House Carpenter
Traditional, Arr. Sara Watkins / Alison Krauss.
Capo 2

[Em] "Well met, well [D] met, said an [Em] old true love.
"Well met, well [D] met, said [Em] he.
"I have [C] just returned from the [D] salt, salt [Bm] sea.
"And it's [C] all for the [D] love of [Em] thee." 

[Em] Come in, come [D] in, my [Em] own true love,
And have a [D] seat by [Em] me.
It's [C] been three-fourths of a [D] long, long [Bm] year,
Since [C] together, [D] we have [Em] been.

[Em] "I can't come [D] in and I [Em] can't sit down,
"For I've only a [D] moment's [Em] time.
"They [C] say you're married to a [D] house carpenter,
"And your [C] heart will [D] never be [Em] mine.

[Em] "I could have [D] married a [Em] King's daughter, fair,
"And she would have [D] married [Em] me,
"But [C] I have forsaken her [D] crowns of [Bm] gold,
"And it's [C] all for the [D] love of [Em] thee."

[Em] "Now you [D] forsake your [Em] house carpenter,
"And go [D] along with [Em] me.
"I'll [C] take you where the [D] grass grows [Bm] green.
"On the [C] banks of the [D] deep blue [Em] sea."

[Em] Then she picked [D] up a [Em] darlin' little babe,
And kisses, she [D] gave it [Em] three.
Saying [C] "Stay right here, my [D] darlin' little [Bm] babe,
"And [C] keep your pappa [D] company [Em]."

[Em] They had not [D] been on the [Em] ship two weeks,
I'm sure it [D] was not [Em] three,
Till his [C] true love began to [D] weep and to [Bm] mourn,
And [C] she wept most [D] bitterly [Em].

[Em] Sayin': "Are you [D] weepin' for my [Em] silver and my gold."
Sayin': "Are you [D] weepin' for my [Em] store?
"Or [C] are you weepin' for your [D] house [Bm] carpenter,
"Whose [C] face you'll never [D] see no [Em] more?"

[Em] "A curse, a [D] curse to the [Em] sailor," she cried.
"A curse, a [D] curse," she [Em] swore.
"You [C] robbed me of my [D] darlin' little [Bm] babe,
"That [C] I shall never [D] see no [Em] more."

[Em] They had not [D] been on the [Em] ship three weeks,
I'm sure it [D] was not [Em] four,
When there [C] came a leak in the [D] bottom of the [Bm] ship,
And [C] sank them for to [D] rise no [Em] more.
Show more