TRACK TALK #458 House Carpenter

HOUSE CARPENTER
ALBUM : The Bootleg Series Vol.1 (1991) / The Bootleg Series Vol.10 (2013)
Recorded : 22 Novembre 1961 / 4 Mars 1970
Released : 26 Mars 1991 / 27 Août 2013

Reprise d'un vieux traditionnel connu dès le 17ème siècle sous le titre "The Daemon Lover".
D'abord enregistré en 1961 pour les sessions du 1er album (à écouter sur le "Bootleg Series Vol.1"), elle sera également jouée en studio lors des sessions de "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" en 1962 et de "Self Portrait" en 1970 (à écouter sur le "Bootleg Series Vol.10").
Dans son livre "Not Dark Yet", Nicolas Rainaud y entend les prémices du riff utilisé dans "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" et interprète "Man in the Long Black Coat" comme la suite de cette histoire de charpentier qui revient hanter la femme qui ne l'a pas attendu.  
Aucune performance live.



Lyrics
Well met, well met, my own true love
Well met, well met, cried she
I've just returned from the salt, salt sea
And it's all for the love of thee

I could have married a King's daughter there
She would have married me
But I have forsaken my King's daughter there
It's all for the love of thee

Well, if you could have married a King's daughter there
I'm sure you're the one to blame
For I am married to a house carpenter
And I'm sure he's a fine young man

Forsake, forsake your house carpenter
And come away with me
I'll take you where the green grass grows
On the shores of sunny Italy

So up she picked her babies three
And gave them kisses, one, two, three
Saying "take good care of your daddy while I'm gone
And keep him good company."

Well, they were sailin' about two weeks
I'm sure it was not three
When the younger of the girls, she came on deck
Sayin' she wants company

"Well, are you weepin' for your house and home?
Or are you weepin' for your babies three?"
"Well, I'm not weepin' for my house carpenter
I'm weepin' for my babies three."

Oh what are those hills yonder, my love
They look as white as snow
Those are the hill of heaven, my love
You and I'll never know

Oh what are those hills yonder, my love
They look as dark as night
Those are the hills of hell-fire my love
Where you and I will unite

Oh twice around went the gallant ship
I'm sure it was not three
When the ship all of a sudden, it sprung a leak
And it drifted to the bottom of the sea