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16 May 25 - 07:42 PM (#4222669) Subject: Origins: My Little Carpenter From: Joe Offer Another song that hasn't been covered in discussion. MY LITTLE CARPENTER I'll tell to you a new song that's lately been made 'tis of a little carpenter, he courted a fair maid He courted her, he courted her, he loved her as his life Oftimes he asked her if he would be his wife Along came an old man, he came from Noah's Ark A long ways a-travelin', a-goin' in the dark I can't fancy you, old man, you look too old and grim Oh, my little carpenter, oh what's become of him? Along came the blacksmith, it was the other day He gave me a handkerchief, or so the people say He gave me a gold ring to talk with him again Oh, my little carpenter, oh what's become of him? Along came a young man, he came from Scarlet Town With gold chain and finger rings, he throwed him on the ground I can fancy you, young man, you look so neat and trim Oh, my little carpenter, what would become of him? Along came the carpenter, he came so neat and slow All the money that he makes, he brings to me to show He hews with his broad axe all day and sits by me all night Oh, my little carpenter, my whole heart's delight _______ collected by Alan Lomax from Jim Howard of Harlan KY sung by the New Lost City Ramblers on Gone to the Country printed in Sing Out Reprint 10 @work @love filename[ LITCARP SOF Traditional Ballad Index entry: Little Carpenter (I), TheDESCRIPTION: Singer is courted successively by an old man, a blacksmith (who gives her a handkerchief and a finger ring) and a handsome young man (from Scarlet town!); she rejects all, preferring the little carpenter who, "hews with his broadaxe all day and sits by meAUTHOR: unknown EARLIEST DATE: 1886 (William Henry Long, _Dictionary of Isle of Wight Dialect_) KEYWORDS: love courting rejection magic lover worker FOUND IN: US(Ap) Britain(England(South)) REFERENCES (2 citations): DT, LITCARP ADDITIONAL: W H Long, A Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect to which is appended ... Songs Sung by the Peasantry" (London, 1886 ("Digitized by Google")), p. 112, "The Little Cappender"[sic] ("I'll zing you a new zong, that lately has been maade") (1 text) [Not yet indexed as Long-Wight p. 112] ST DTLitCar (Full) Roud #1594 RECORDINGS: Blind James Howard, "The Little Carpenter" (AAFS 1376 B2, 1933; on KMM) New Lost City Ramblers, "The Little Carpenter" (on NLCR06, NLCRCD2) NOTES [347 words]: I've included the keyword, "magic" because the appearance of the handkerchief and finger ring hint at now-lost magical elements. Curiously, the field recording cited under, "Earliest Date" is the only time the song has been found, although its diction and images make it sound European. - PJS Lyle Lofgren, who did a detailed examination of this song for a historical column, agrees. He noted several indications that the song is old: The change from third to first person, the "props" such as finger rings, the pentatonic melody (centering on the fifth rather than the tonic), and the general tone. One scholar speculated that it is a religious song in disguise. (Jesus, recall, was the son of a carpenter.) The other very faint possibility that occurred to me was that it was about the historical Cherokee chief Attakullakulla, known as "Little Carpenter," who lived at the time of the French and Indian Wars and ended up surrendering some land in the region of South Carolina after a nasty campaign in which both sides suffered significant casualties. I can, by twisting very hard, make some of the references here make sense in his context. But Virgil Philpott wrote to Lofgren in 2011 with additional information that seems to clarify the matter (much of this has been confirmed by Ben Schwartz) -- and eliminated both Cherokee chiefs and religious motifs: "I live on the Isle of Wight and sing traditional songs from Southern England in harmony in a trio called The Dollymopps. Over the last 18 months we have been researching the Island's traditional songs and in doing so came across a song called 'The Little Cappender' in a recreation of an old Hooam Harvest celebration in William Henry Long's Dictionary of Isle of Wight Dialect published in 1886. "WH Long was from a West Wight farming family and the songs he includes in his Dictionary were all 'collected from the mouths of the peasantry' on the Island in the early part of the Nineteenth Century." This still doesn't explain what it's about, but we can obviously eliminate any thoughts of an American origin! - RBW Last updated in version 5.1 File: DTLitCar Go to the Ballad Search form Go to the Ballad Index Instructions The Ballad Index Copyright 2025 by Robert B. Waltz and David G. Engle. |
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16 May 25 - 11:46 PM (#4222676) Subject: RE: Origins: My Little Carpenter From: vectis I found it in W H Long's Dictionary of the Isle of Wight dialect (1886) in the Harvest Home section (page 119). It was old then and singers who heard it when they were young heard it sung by old men long dead. The tune was revived and messed about with by The Dollymops who recorded it a good twenty years ago. I got the tune from them and D'Urfy's Pills to Purge Melancholy and made the last line of each verse into a refrain. In other words, for me, it is a song from home as I'm a born and raised Islander or a Caulkhead as we are known over in England. |
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17 May 25 - 01:43 AM (#4222677) Subject: RE: Origins: My Little Carpenter From: vectis Your version is a little different to mine. I'll put mine on tomorrow. |
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18 May 25 - 12:06 AM (#4222764) Subject: RE: Origins: My Little Carpenter From: vectis The Little Carpenter Coll:W H Long “Songs sung by the IOW peasantry” 1886 I’ll sing you a new song that lately has been made ‘Tis of a little carpenter and of a pretty maid I have a fancy for you - you goes so neat and trim But oh, the little carpenter, what will become of him? X2 The first he was a farmer and he could plough and sow He said “my pretty fair maid, I’m come to let you know I I have a fancy for you, you goes so neat and trim But oh, the little carpenter, what will become of him?” X2 The next he was an old man, come hoplin in the dark. He said “My dearest jewel ‘tis you have won my heart I have a fancy for you, you goes so neat and trim But oh, the little carpenter, what will become of him? X2 The next he was a blacksmith that came 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 Saying “Oh, the little carpenter, what will become of him?” X2 I’ll work with my broad axe as long as I can wag And all the money I can get, I’ll put it in a bag I’ll put it in my bag until Saturday at night It’ll be “Oh my little carpenter you be my heart’s delight. X2 At last there came the carpenter he came so neat and slow A carved cradle in his arms he’d brought to her to show He works his broad axe all the day and sits by her at night And Oh! My little carpenter you are my heart’s delight. X2 ------------------------------------------------------------------- I'll sing you a new song - Shirly Collins reckons this indicates the song origins at about the 1750's, it was a common way of starting songs then. Newtown fair - Newtown was the original capital of The Island until it moved to Newport. Apart from the old town hall there isn't much there anymore, except a nature reserve. Hoplin - Hobbling I presume. Broad axe - could be adze or axe. I sing either as the mood takes me. |