- Written by
- [Traditional]
- Language
- English
- Comments
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This ballad is collected as Child #243 and Roud #14, but is more often known as "The House Carpenter". The song dates back to the sixteenth century, one early variant being published in broadside form circa 1660. It is also known as, among others, "James Harris", "The Demon Lover", and "The Ship Carpenter".
In this ballad, a woman, now married with child, runs into a former beau who convinces her to leave her husband and child and sail away with him. Less than a month at sea, the ship sinks and the woman dies. In the earliest versions, the former beau is either a demon spirit or the devil taking the form of the former love, called "James Harris" in some versions; hence this alternative title for the song. The ballad became very popular in Appalachia and the American South as "The House Carpenter" -- which is usually the occupation of the husband being deserted. The supernatural elements of the ballad are stripped out of most of the American versions of the song.
The first recorded version of this "story" was made in America by the Carolina Tar Heels on October 11, 1928, with vocals by Doc Walsh. Their song was titled "Can't You Remember When You Were Mine?". On April 14, 1930, Clarence Ashley (who was a member of the Carolina Tar Heels) recorded his version called "The House Carpenter", and it is Ashley's version that "took" and became the model for most of the American "The House Carpenters" to follow. - Licensing
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Adaptations
An adaptation is a musical work, which uses elements (music or lyrics) from another musical work.
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The Daemon Lover / The House Carpenter written by [Traditional] English October 11, 1928
- Tesař written by Jan Lašťovička Czech May 2000
- Byens hotel written by Kim Larsen, Mogens Mogensen, Ib Oskar Hansen, Thomas Grue Danish 1973