"The Daemon Lover", also known as "James Harris", "James Herries", or "The House Carpenter" (Roud 14, Child 243) is a popular ballad from Britain. It tells the story of a man (actually the Devil), who returns to a 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. Together they board one of his ships, (which in many versions she is surprised to find does not have a crew) and put to sea. The Roud Folk Song Index is a database of 143,000 references to over 5,900 songs that have been collected from oral tradition in the English language from all over the world. ... The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, collected by Francis James Child. ... A ballad is a story in a song, usually a narrative song or poem. ... The Devil is a title given to a supernatural entity, who, in most Abrahamic faiths, is the central embodiment of evil. ...

"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 behind 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.

"O what a bright, bright hill is yon,

That shines so clear to see?"

"O it is the hill of heaven, " he said,

"Where you shall never be."

"O what a black, dark hill is yon,

"That looks so dark to me?"

"O it is the hill of hell," he said,

"Where you and I shall be."

A popular American version is called "The House Carpenter". [1]

Shirley Jackson's collection The Lottery and other stories was originally intended to be titled The Adventures of James Harris; several of the stories include slightly sinister or mysterious men, not obviously the same man, with this name. John Wayne (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), popularly known as The Duke, [1] was an Academy Award winning, American film actor whose career began in silent movies in the 1920s. ... Spoiler warning: The Lottery is a short story by Shirley Jackson, first published on June 26, 1948, issue of The New Yorker. ...

Recordings

Versions of the song, under its several titles, have been recorded by:

• Joan Baez
• The Baltimore Consort
• Carolina Tar Heels
• Bob Dylan
• David Grisman
• The Ex
• Handsome Family
• Hurt
• Kornog
• Ewan MacColl
• Buffy Saint Marie
• Natalie Merchant
• Nic Jones
• Nickel Creek
• Pentangle
• Pete Seeger
• Martin Simpson
• Steeleye Span
• Daithi Sproule
• Sweeney's Men
• Doc Watson
• Jean Ritchie
• Clarence Ashley
• Kelly Joe Phelps
• Oakley Hall

Joan Chandos Baez (born January 9, 1941) is an American folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. ... The Baltimore Consort is a musical ensemble that performs a wide variety of Renaissance music. ... Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, musician and poet who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. ... David Grisman David Grisman (born 1945 in Hackensack, New Jersey) is a noted bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist and composer of acoustic music. ... The Ex is an anarchist punk rock band from the Netherlands. ... The Handsome Family are a American alternative country duo, the couple Brett and Rennie Sparks. ... Hurt can mean: Hurt (song), a song written by Nine Inch Nails and covered by Johnny Cash Hurt, Virginia, a town in Pittsylvania County, VA To hurt means to cause pain. ... Ewan MacColl (25 January 1915 - 22 October 1989) was an English folk singer, songwriter, socialist, actor, poet, playwright, and record producer. ... Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie (born February 20, 1941) is a Canadian First Nations musician, composer, visual artist, educator and social activist. ... Natalie Merchant Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963 in Jamestown, New York, USA) is a versatile professional musician. ... Nic Jones (full name Nicholas Paul Jones) was born in 1947 in the English town of Orpington, Kent. ... Nickel Creek is an American acoustic trio with roots in bluegrass, though is now sometimes described as Progressive Acoustic. ... Pentangle is a British folk-rock band. ... Seegers album Clearwater Classics. ... Martin Simpson (b 1953) is an English guitarist. ... Steeleye Span is a British folk-rock band that has been active since 1970. ... Sweeneys Men was an Irish traditional band. ... Doc Watson Merle Watson, c. ... Jean Ritchie (born 1922) is an American folk singer. ... Clarence Tom Ashley (September 29 1895 (or 1885?) - June 2 1967) was a 20th century American clawhammer banjo player and singer. ... Kelly Joe Phelps is an American musician and songwriter. ... Oakley Hall is an American folk rock band based in Brooklyn, New York. ...

External link

• James Harris (The Dæmon Lover): Child Ballad 243