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The Little Carpenter

[ Roud 1594 ; Ballad Index DTLitCar ; LittleCarp at Old Songs ; DT LITCARP ; Mudcat 174084 ; trad.]

William Henry Long: A Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect

Hedy West sang The Little Carpenter in 1964 on her Vanguard album Hedy West Volume 2. She noted:

The Little Carpenter was collected [on 7 September 1937] by John and Alan Lomax while they were employed at the Library of Congress. It is one of the songs I transcribed while working on Mr. Lomax’s manuscript.

On the Library of Congress field recording, AAFS 1376-B2, James Howard says of himself:

The title of this song is The Little Carpenter, sung by James Howard, [Harlan,] Kentucky, accompanied by his violin. I learned this song forty years ago in a little log cabin on the head of Bob’s Creek, sitting by an old spinning wheel, listening to an old woman sing. Her name was Sally Stewart.

Like several traditional singers I have heard, Mr. Howard uses the same tune for more than one song. This tune is basically that of his Old Fish Song, L.C. 74a [Roud 5468].

The Little Carpenter comes from Eastern Kentucky whose population has a rich heritage of traditional song to flavour its fare of concentrated poverty, served it by a ruthless coal industry.

Sara Grey sang The Little Carpenter in 2002 on her Tradition Bearers album Boy, She’s a Daisy. She noted:

Collected by John and Alan Lomax in [1937] from Jim Howard of Harlan, Kentucky. The tune is reminiscent of other old-time tunes from around the Pipestem, West Virginia area. I learned it partly from Kate Lissauer and partly from Hedy West.

The Dollymopps sang The Little Carpenter in 2011 on their CD of traditional songs from the Isle of Wight collected by W.H. Long in the 1880s, Long Songs. They noted:

The only surviving air for this song comes from an Alan Lomax field recording of a blind Kentucky fiddler, Jim Howard, recorded in 1937. There has been some debate in American Bluegrass circles about the song’s origins, and it’s nice to settle the argument in favour of Calbourne! The words are an amalgamation of Long and Howard, with our own adjustments in the interests of narrative cohesion.

Chris Wood sang The Little Carpenter on his 2013 album None the Wiser. He noted:

In the face of a series of better offers, our faithful heroine holds out for her penniless artisan. Written by Anon, this was learned from singing trio, The Dollymopps from the Isle of Wight. The lyrics is from the island, the tune is from Appalachia and the inspiration to put them together comes from my old pal Virgil Philpott [of The Dollymopps], F.A.B Virgil.

Lyrics

The Little Cappender in W.H. Long: A Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect (1886)

I’ll zing you a new zong, that layetly has been maade,
’Tes of a little cappender, and of a pretty maade.
I have a fancy vor you, you goes zo neat and trim;
But oh, the little cappender, what wull become of him?

The vust was a varmer, and he could plough and zow;
He zed, “My pretty fair maade, I’m come to let you know
I have a fancy vor you, you goos so neat and trim;
But oh, the little cappender, what wull become of him?”

The next was a wold man come hoppen in the dark;
He zed, “My dearest jewel, ’tes you have won my heart;
I have a fancy vor you, you goos zo neat and trim;
But oh, the little cappender, what wull become of him?”

The next was a blacksmith that come vrom Newtown fair,
He gid her his goold watch, and a little of his store,
He gid her his silk handkercher all vor to putt it in,
Zaying, “Oh, the little cappender, what wull become of him?”

“I’ll work wi’ my broad axe, as long as I can wag,
And all the money I can git, I’ll putt it in the bag,
I’ll putt it in my bag, until Zadderday at night,
And ’tes oh, my little cappender, you be my heart’s delight.”

Sara Grey sings The Little Carpenter

I’ll tell you a new song lately been made,
It’s of a little carpenter who courted a fair maid.
He courted her and loved her with his life
And often times he asked her if she’d be his wife.

Along came a young man, come from Scarlet Town,
Took all the chains and finger rings and throwed them on the ground,
“I can’t marry you, sir, you look so neat and trim.
But O my little carpenter, what has become of him?”

Along came an old man, come from Noah’s Ark,
A long time travelling, a-going in the dark.
“I can’t marry you, old man, you look so old and grim.
But O my little carpenter, what has become of him?”

Along come a blacksmith just the other day,
He gave to her his handkerchief, or so the people say,
He gave to her this finger ring to talk to him again.
“But O my little carpenter, what has become of him?”

Along came a carpenter, come so near and slow,
And all the money that he makes he brings to me to show.
He uses his old axe by day and sleeps by me at night,
O my little carpenter, my own heart’s delight,
O my little carpenter, my own heart’s delight.

The Dollymopps sing The Little Carpenter

I’ll sing you a new song that lately has been made,
‘Tis of a little carpenter and of a pretty maid.
He courted her, he courted her, he loved her as his life,
But never he did ask her if she might be his wife.

A farmer came along one day and he could plough and sow.
He said, “My pretty fair maid, I’ve come to let you know
I have a fancy for you, you look so neat and trim.”
“But O, my little carpenter, what will become of him?”

The next day an old man came a-hopping in the dark.
He said, “My dearest jewel ‘tis you have won my heart.
I’ll raise you in society, you’ll go so proud and prim.”
“But O, my little carpenter, what will become of him?”

The third day a merchant came, he hailed from Newtown fair,
He gave her his gold watch and a little of his store.
He gave her his silk handkerchief all for to put it in.”
Then laughed, “O your little carpenter, what will become of him?”

At long last came the carpenter he came so neat and slow,
A carved cradle in his arms he’d brought for her to show.
He worked his broad axe all the day and sits by her at night
Now O the little carpenter, he is her heart’s delight,
Yes, O the little carpenter, he is her heart’s delight.