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 sake of thee
I could have married the king's daughter dear
And she would have married me
Then I have refused the crown of gold
And it's all for the sake of thee
If you could have married the king's daughter dear
I'm sure you are to blame
For I am married to the house carpenter
And he is a fine young man
If you'll forsake your house carpenter
And fly away with me
I'll take you to where the grass grows green
On the banks of the sweet Willie
If I forsake my house carpenter
And fly away with thee
What have you got to maintain me upon
And keep me from slavery
I've six ships sailing on the salt sea
Sailing from dry land
And a hundred and twenty jolly young men
Shall be at your command
She picked up her poor little babe
Her kisses were one, two, three
And as she trod upon her way
And shone like a glittering tree
They had not been at sea two weeks
I'm sure it was not three
When this poor maid began to cry
And she wept most bitterly
Oh do you weep for your gold, he said
Your houses, your land or your store?
Or do you weep for your house carpenter
The one you"ll never see anymore
The one you"ll never see anymore
I do not weep for my gold, she said
My houses, my land or my store
But I do weep for my poor little babe
That I never shall see anymore
They had not been at sea three weeks
I'm sure it was not four
When in their ship there sprang a great leak
And she sank to rise no more
No, she sank to rise no more
Farewell farewell, my own true love
Farewell farewell, cried she
I could have deserted my house carpenter
And grave them in the depths of the sea
For a grave in the depths of the sea.
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 sake of thee
Well met, well met, cried he
I've just returned from the salt, salt sea
And it's all for the sake of thee
I could have married the king's daughter dear
And she would have married me
Then I have refused the crown of gold
And it's all for the sake of thee
If you could have married the king's daughter dear
I'm sure you are to blame
For I am married to the house carpenter
And he is a fine young man
If you'll forsake your house carpenter
And fly away with me
I'll take you to where the grass grows green
On the banks of the sweet Willie
If I forsake my house carpenter
And fly away with thee
What have you got to maintain me upon
And keep me from slavery
I've six ships sailing on the salt sea
Sailing from dry land
And a hundred and twenty jolly young men
Shall be at your command
She picked up her poor little babe
Her kisses were one, two, three
And as she trod upon her way
And shone like a glittering tree
They had not been at sea two weeks
I'm sure it was not three
When this poor maid began to cry
And she wept most bitterly
Oh do you weep for your gold, he said
Your houses, your land or your store?
Or do you weep for your house carpenter
The one you"ll never see anymore
The one you"ll never see anymore
I do not weep for my gold, she said
My houses, my land or my store
But I do weep for my poor little babe
That I never shall see anymore
They had not been at sea three weeks
I'm sure it was not four
When in their ship there sprang a great leak
And she sank to rise no more
No, she sank to rise no more
Farewell farewell, my own true love
Farewell farewell, cried she
I could have deserted my house carpenter
And grave them in the depths of the sea
For a grave in the depths of the sea.
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 sake of thee