The Daemon Lover
"The Daemon Lover", also known as "James Harris", "James Herries", or "The House Carpenter" (Roud 14, Child 243) is a popular Scottish ballad.
Synopsis
A man (usually the Devil) returns to his former lover after a very long absence, and finds her with a husband (usually a carpenter) and a baby. He entices her to leave both behind and come with him, luring her with many ships laden with treasure. They board one of his ships (which in many versions she is surprised to find does not have a crew) and put to sea.
"But if I should leave my husband dear,
Likewise my little son also,
What have you to maintain me withal,
If I along with you should go?"
"I have seven ships upon the seas,
And one of them brought me to land,
And seventeen mariners to wait on thee,
For to be love at your command."
She soon begins to lament leaving her child, but is heartened by spying a bright hill in the distance. Her lover informs her that the hill is heaven, where they are not bound. Instead he indicates a much darker coast, which he tells her is hell, their destination. He then breaks the ship in half with his bare hands and feet, drowning them both. In other versions, the ship is wrecked by a storm at sea, springing a leak, causing the ship to spin three times and then sink into the cold sea.
Podcasts:
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by Pentangle
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by Nickel Creek
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by Natalie Merchant
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by Bob Dylan
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by Joan Baez
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by Subrosa
House Carpenter
by: PentanglePentangle
"House Carpenter"
Well I once could have married the king's third son
And a fine young man was he
But now I'm married to a house carpenter
And a noisy old man is he.
"(but) Will you forsake your house carpenter
And a go along with a me
I will take you to where the grass grows green
On the bank of the river deep."
"But will you have to maintain me a bound
To keep me at in slavery?"
"Well I have seven ships
They will soon be at land
And they at your command shall be."
She took her two babes by the hand
And gave them kisses three
Said, "Stay at home you darling little babes,
Keep your father sweet company."
Now she dressed herself in her very best
Like a high born lady was she
She shivered and she shimmered and she proudly stepped
As they walked by the banks of the sea
Well she hadn't been gone but a short, short time
Until she wept for sor'
"I would give all the gold in this round world
Just to see my babes once more."
Well if you had all the gold and the silver too
That ever did cross the sea
You never would be at land anymore
And your babes you will never more see
Well they hadn't been sailing but a short, short time
About two weeks three or four
When the ship sprang a leak and they were doomed
And they were far away from the shore
"I see bright hills of heaven my dear
Where angels come and go
I see bright hills that tell my dear
Where you and I must go."
"Well I wish I was back to my house carpenter
I'm sure he would treat me well
But here I am in the raging sea