House Carpenter是一首英国民谣，叙述的是一个古老的故事，一个关于死亡的咒语，两人深爱，到最后船破人亡。男人始终等待着自己的初恋情人，而女人终于嫁给了一个普通的木匠，生了三个孩子。即使面对国王的女儿，男人也可以无动于衷，这份爱有多深，有多痴？偶然的再次邂逅，爱的火花让女人终于也随男人一起，坐上船，去寻找他们爱的栖息地。在海上，女人想念自己的孩子，此时，这个经历了生活的琐碎的女人埋怨了起来，这就是爱的诅咒。老船在海上终于经不住风浪，他们随同自己的爱沉入了海底......

Well met, well met, said an old true love
Well met, well met, said he
I just returned from the salt, salt sea
And its all for the love of thee

Come in, come in, my own true love
And have a seat by me
Its been three-fourths of a long, long year
Since together we have been

I cant come in and i can't sit down
For ive only a moments time
They say youre married to a house carpenter
And your heart will never be mine
I couldve married the kings daughter fair
And she wouldve married me
But i have forsaken her crowns of gold
And it's all for the love of thee

Now will you forsake your house carpenter
And come along with me
I'll take you where, the grass grows green
On the banks of the deep blue sea
Then she picked up her darling little babe
And kisses she gave it three
Saying stay right here you darling little babe
And keep your pop company

They had not been on the ship two weeks
I'm sure it was not three
Til this true love began to weep and to mourn
And she wept most bitterly
Saying are you weeping for my silver and my gold?
Saying are you weeping for my store?
Or are you weeping, for your house carpenter
Whose face youll never see no more?
A curse, a curse to the sailor, she cried
A curse, a curse, she swore
You robbed me of the darling little babe
That i shall never see no more

They had not been on the ship three weeks
Im sure it was not four
When there came a leak, in the bottom of the ship
And sank them for to rise no more

1981年于车祸中丧生的民谣歌手哈利却宾写过不少脍炙人口的歌曲，其中最令人动容的曲子，首推半自传半虚构、描述父子之情的“摇篮裡的猫 ”。
　
哈利的儿子出生时，正是他最走红的时候，每天有赶不完的场，做不完的秀，哪有时间在家陪儿子？于是他错过了儿子学走路踏出的第一步，也错过了儿子学会说的第一句话。可是若不这麽拼命的话，孩子怎会有好日子过呢？于是在这个看似冠冕堂皇的理由之下，哈利又错过了教儿子打棒球的机会，再回首，儿子已经成为大学生。
　
这时哈利总算清閒下来了，希望多陪陪宝贝儿子。可是儿子放假回来老是借了车子出去兜风 ，不怎麽能体会爸爸孤单的心情。过了几年，儿子毕了业，有了工作，有了自己的家，见面机会就更少了，顶多是在电话裡聊聊近况。
　
当老爸用近乎哀求的语气，叫儿子回来一趟聚一聚，儿子却以工作忙、小孩生病等理由来搪塞。这时哈利才领悟到：原来这场家庭悲剧，是自己一手导演出来的，只是，谁能让时间倒流呢？

My child arrived just the other day;
came to the world in the usually way
but there were planes to catch and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away.
He was talking before I knew it.
And as he grew he said,
"I'm gonna be like you, Dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home?"
"Son, I don't know when.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Well, my son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad. Come on, let's play.
Could you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today.
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's okay."
And he walked away and he smiled he said,
"You know,
I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home?"
"Son, I don't know when.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"I'm proud of you. Could you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home?"
"Son, I don't know when.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

I've long since retired, my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
"I'd like to see you, if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I could find the time.
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I could find the time.
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home?"
"Son, I don't know when.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home?"
"Son, I don't know when.
We'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

一个女子在年轻的时候由于父亲的安排嫁给了一个显贵的子弟，她开始担心自己的年龄有一天会成为感情悲剧的主因，她埋怨父亲错误的将自己嫁给了一个比她小很多的男子。婚后第二年，他们有了自己的孩子，而她的夫君却也还是一个孩子，在一天天的长大。她送他去上学，为他裹了蓝色的头巾，她怕别人抢走父亲为自己选定依存的真爱。而命运的捉弄，却使她很快成了寡妇，在为爱人缝制寿衣的时候，她的悲哀成了整个曲子的灵魂......

The trees they grow high,
the leaves they do grow green
Many is the time my true love I've seen
Many an hour I have watched him all alone
He's young,
but he's daily growing

Father, dear father,
you've done me great wrong
You have married me to a boy who is too young
I'm twice twelve and he is but fourteen
He's young,
but he's daily growing

Daughter, dear daughter,
I've done you no wrong
I have married you to a great lord's son
He'll be a man for you when I am dead and gone
He's young,
but he's daily growing

Father, dear father, if you see fit
We'll send him to college for another year yet
I'll tie blue ribbons all around his head
To let the maidens know that he's married

One day I was looking o'er my father's castle wall
I spied all the boys aplaying at the ball
My own true love was the flower of them all
He's young, but he's daily growing

And so early in the morning
at the dawning of the day
They went out into the hayfield
to have some sport and play;
And what they did there,
she never would declare
But she never more complained of his growing.

At the age of fourteen, he was a married man
At the age of fifteen, the father of my son
At the age of sixteen, his grave it was green
And death had put an end to his growing

I'll buy my love some flannel
and I will make a shroud
With every stitch I put in it,
the tears they will pour down
With every stitch I put in it,
how the tears they will flow
Cruel fate has put an end to his growing

Geordie这首歌的背景来源有两个出处。第一个见于17世纪早期的《苏格兰手卷》（《Straloch Manuscripts》）中一个名叫《God be wi&dot thee&def Geordie》的故事。另外一个出处见于Buchan在1828年编写的《古民谣和歌曲》（《Ancient Ballads and Songs》）一个叫做《Gight&dots Lady》的故事中。在《苏格兰手卷》的故事中，Geordie拥有6个孩子（不是歌中的三个），他被指控偷了国王的6匹白色的马并且在Bohenny卖掉而被判绞刑。而根据Buchan的记载，Geordie在史上确有其人，全名是GeorgeGordon of Gight（1512-1562），是詹姆斯四世一个私生女的儿子，并且拥有爵士封号。他由于“对领主Bignet之妻过于亲密”的罪名而被囚禁。Geordie的妻子Lady Ann赶到了爱丁堡请求法官宽恕她的丈夫，结果是，法官同意释放Geordie，不过前提是要他亲手杀掉自己的妻子，最终Lady Ann为了挽救丈夫的性命而选择死亡。

Geordie这首歌的依据是《苏格兰手卷》，写了Geordie的妻子赶去恳求法官对丈夫网开一面被拒绝，而后Geordie被绞死的故事。

还有一种带有猜想的说法：
揣摩那个悲伤的故事，不知道GEORDIE为什么要偷皇家的十六头小鹿，这有可能是诬陷。也许GEORDIE长得很漂亮，他有金色的头发和湛蓝的眼眸。有位贵妇人看中了他，勾引不成反而诬陷非礼。于是，GEORDIE就被派去管理林场。在林场，他遇到了心爱的女子，他们结婚了。然而，GEORDIE的幸福生活遭到了先前那位贵妇人的嫉妒，贵妇人雇人偷走GEORDIE看管的十六头小鹿，同时向法院告发GEORDIE说他偷偷变卖皇家财产。无辜的GEORDIE被判绞刑，行刑那天，他心爱的女子跪在伦敦桥上，为他哀唱，向来往路人诉说不幸。

As I walked under London Bridge
One misty morning early,
I overheard a fair, pretty maid,
Was lamenting for her Geordie.

O my Geordie will be hanged
in a golden chain,
'Tis not the chain of many.
He was born of King's royal breed
And lost to a virtous lady

Go bridle me my milk white steed
Go bridle me my pony
I will ride to London's court
And to plead for the life of Geordie.

O my Geordie never stole nor cow nor calf
He never hurted any
Stole sixteen of the King's royal deer
And he sold them in Bohenny.

Two pretty babies have I borne,
The third lies in my body,
I'd freely part with them every one,
If you'd spare the life of Geordie.

The judge looked over his left shoulder,
He said, ''Fair maid, I'm sorry,
Said:Fair maid you must be gone
For I can not pardon Geordie

O my Geordie will be hanged
in a golden chain,
'Tis not the chain of many.
Stole sixteen of the King's royal deer
And he sold them in Bohenny.

火车站的候车室，
时常坐著一位打扮整齐的中年妇人，
手里抱著一个老式皮箱，
游目张望，似乎在期待什么？

第一次见到妇人是他高中的时候，　
每天夜里从桃园通车到台北补习，
深夜十一点回到桃园，　
妇人总是准时地坐在候车室的木椅上
等待著的姿势，不安的眼神，端整的打扮，　
好像在期待着某一个约好的人；
起先他没有特别留意她，可是时间一久，　
尤其是没有旅客的时候，妇人就格外显的孤寂；
　
有一天他终于下定决心，在候车室等待那妇人离去，
一直到深夜落，一直到凌晨一点，妇人才站了起来，
走到候车室的黑板前用粉笔写著
「水：等你没等到　我先走了。英 留」
那时他才知道，　
原来候车室长久以来的这则留言是出自那妇人；

后来车站的老人告诉他，妇人已经在候车室坐了二十几年了，
有人说她疯了，有人说曾看见她打开皮箱，
箱里装的是少女时代的衣服，
大部分的人都说，在二十几年前那个夜晚，　
英和她的水约好在车站碰面，要私奔到某一个不知名的地方，　
可是叫水的那个男人却缺席了；

有一天他回家的时候，不再看到英的影子　
问了车站许多人但不知道为什么这风雨无阻的妇人那一天没有来，　
第二天的清晨英残缺的身体被发现在铁道上，　
皮箱滚到很远的地方旅客留言板上有她的字迹，　
只改了几个字「水：等你三十年，我先走了 英 留」

就这样，断了线，就真这样，不再相见，
飞出了时间，飞出天边，飞到另外一个没有我的天，
经过许多年，所有的眷恋飘浮在时空里，没有终点，
人生是一张泛黄的相片，　
而我站在车站静止的画面......