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Eva~ Irish Bouzouki
Sage~ Banjo
Traditional/ Arr. H&H

Child Ballad 243

Also known as "The Daemon Lover"
The story of a woman seduced by a life of ease. A parable that illustrates the falsehood that the grass is greener on the other side, set against a backdrop of a raging sea.

lyrics

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

Come in, come in, my own true love
And have a drink with me
It's been three quarters of a long, long year
Since together we have been

No I can't come in, I can't sit down
I have but a moment's time
They say that you're married to a house carpenter
And your love it will never be mine

I could have married the king's daughter dear
So free she was with me
But I have forsaken her crowns and her gold
And its all for the love of thee

Well, if you could have married
The king's daughter dear
I'm sure you are to blame
For I am married to a house carpenter
And I'm sure he's a fine young man

Oh, will you forsake your house carpenter
And go along with me?
I'll take you to where the grass grows green
To the banks of the sweet Dundee

Well, if I forsake upon my house carpenter
And go along with thee
What have you there to support me with
And keep me from slavery?

Well I have six ships they will soon be on land
And seven more at see
Three hundred ten all bold sailor men
At your command shall be

She picked up her tiny little babe
And kisses gave him three
Sayin, "Stay right here my darlin little babe,
And keep your papa company"

She dressed herself in a suit of red
Her maiden waist in green
And every town that she passed by
They took her to be some queen

They'd not been on that ship two weeks
Oh I swear now it was not three
When she spied his cloven foot
And began to weep most bitterly

Oh, are you weepin for your house and your land
Or are you weepin for your store
Or are you weepin for that house carpenter
That I am sure you will see no more

No I'm not weepin for my house and my land
Oh, I'm not weepin for my store
Oh I am weepin for that darlin little babe
That I never will see no more

Well, they'd not been on that ship three weeks
I'm sure it was not four
When that ship well it sprang a leak
And it drifted to the dark sea floor

What are those hills over yonder my love
They look as white as the snow
Those are the hills of heaven my dear
That you and I will never know

What are those hills over yonder my love
They look as black as the night
Those are the hills of hellfire my dear
Where you and I will unite

Oh I wish that I was with my house carpenter
I am sure he would treat me well
Here I am in the raging sea
My soul it is bound for hell

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

credits

from To Hold a Candle to the Devil, released December 7, 2014
Traditional
Arrangement by Halfpence and Haypenny

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Halfpence and Haypenny Nevada City, California

Vintage music in the tradition of the Old World bardic minstrels. Renditions and original music, from sultry and haunted to soulful revelation.

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