Papa's Blue Eyed Boy

Another cheeky little cheesy country song I thought I'd throw in the mix. The expression blue eyed boy means to be someone's favourite, I also saw it as someone who couldn't do anything wrong. Once again I got the title for this song the summer before I came to Guildford which was two and a half years ago. I didn't write the song until last year. The idea came when someone started paying me a bit of attention (face glowing scarlet in horror as I type) I had wondered what would happen if they started to try their luck...well I thought I would lay my faults down in hopes to scare them away mwhaha, so that's what this song basically is, a list of all my faults!! It's a rather fun song to sing especially when we throw in the doo doo's after the chorus. The first verse never happened!! I just wanted to set the scenery for the song, I'm sorry if this ruins the image for you!!

p.s. by fag I mean cigarette not a gay man...I've touched many of them (sigh!! embarrassing awful joke)

Verse 1
The moon was low the stars were fading
Out all night now the day is breaking
Watching me, in your eyes
I saw the love light come to life
Got your heart and your attention
I whisper low “what’s your intention”
You drop your eyes and test your luck
And say “I’ll show you what a real man’s made of”

Chorus
Why O’ what do you see in me,
I speak to fast and I miss my T’s
Never touched a fag never had a drink
And I say my prayers before I sleep
A little loud a lot un-cool
The way I look ain’t natural
If you see my bro you’ll want him I’m sure
He’s my papa’s blue eyed boy

Verse 2
The dance floor isn’t my best friend
And when I’m out I want home again
Cos I prefer the quiet nights in
Hot drink and a movie in my bed
I read too much I often swear
Spend an hour in the morning fixing my hair
Then an hour in the eve in the tub upstairs
If that’s too much what do I care
                                                                                                                                                   
Chorus
Why O’ what do you see in me,
I speak to fast and I miss my T’s
Never touched a fag never had a drink
And I say my prayers before I sleep
A little loud a lot un-cool
The way I look ain’t natural
If you see my bro you’ll want him I’m sure
He’s my papa’s blue eyed boy

Mid 8
I’m laying it down as plain as paint
As it is, cos it ain’t gonna change
                                                                                                                                         
Chorus
Why O’ what do you see in me,
I speak to fast and I miss my T’s
Never touched a fag never had a drink
And I say my prayers before I sleep
A little loud a lot un-cool
The way I look ain’t natural
If you see my bro you’ll want him I’m sure
He’s my papa’s blue eyed boy

Karl Smitherman © 2011 published 2012

A Year Ago Today

I'm sorry it's been sometime before posting another song. I have been busy with uni work and all. The song this week is a holy song it came to me a year on from my Nan's passing. I remember sitting in my bedroom when suddenly this song hit me. The song speaks about a person's first encounter with God after passing, in it God is portrayed as very welcoming and human. Of course there is no fact behind the exact story of the song, I guess the only way we will truly know how we are greeted in Heaven will be when we get there, however the story is a nice one which speaks of finding peace after death.

A year ago today God showed her round his place,

He took her by the hand as they wondered through his lands,
He said “you’re welcome now you’ve been gone far too long,
No more running round, no more hurt at all”.

“This is where you’ll stay I hope you settle in,
If you need anything at all don’t be afraid to ask me”,
He showed her many things; he taught her how to fly,
He gave her angel wings and said go ride the sky.

The place was full of people she swore she’d seen before
She saw her mama and her papa and Christ the son of God.
The meadows were filled with chatter and there was laughter that scoured the land
While the children played with each other, the lion walked with the man.

A year ago today God told her of the light,
He said “pull up a chair cos’ you’ll be here some time”.
They talked about many things, she told him about her life,
She laughed and cried with him and walked away with a smile.

And as she walked away he said "just before I go,
You know you’ve done me proud my girl welcome home”.

Karl Smitherman © 2011 published 2012

Let it Burn

I've always loved those old fashioned songs of lament, especially the old folk ones. This is by no means one of those. This is a tell it like it is song, there ain't no clever headed lyrics in this one (not that mine are clever). I wanted the lyrics to be a specific moment in time rather than a poetic one. I wanted people to be able to hear it once and feel that they could relate to it.
The song came to me at a tough time I had trouble getting over somebody. I never like to share my problems with others I feel that it can be seen as a burden, so instead I prefer to write. This song describes falling in love with someone who has no interest in you. Instead of playing the victim you'd rather cherish the fact that you are able to love, after all that's what makes us human. I have a tendency to fall in love easy and quick, like it says in this song "I guess I got to close to the flame and all I could do was loose control" in others words laying yourself bare for that person. When I wrote the lyric "the flame in vein tampers with your soul" I was really addressing the vanity of the person, and how they were arrogant enough not to respond (I'm very bitter right now as you can tell...jokes), but it also has a double meaning which in this case is love seeking control of you without permission, think of it as a possession rather than a willingness to fall in love. I do enjoy singing this song, I see it as a release. The only way I could describe the song is as an easy listening power ballad!!

Verse 1

I guess intime I will be alright

I’llstraighten myself up, I’ll carry on
I guess intime I won’t need you in my life
I’ll guess in time with time you will be gone

Build
Guess I gottoo close to the flame
And all thatI could do was loose control
When yougive someone a little love
The flame invain tampers with your soul, Let it burn, Let it burn

Chorus

Let it burn, Let it burn

Verse 2
At leastthat I am capable of love
That’s what separatesus from the worst
Every timeI’ve given all my love
The only thing they’ve given me is hurt

Build
Love hasallowed me to cry a stream of tears
I have knownlove to be cruel
Spend your time wasting away the years
Amen if youknow this to be true, Let it burn, Let it burn

Chorus
Let it burn, Let it burn

Mid 8
It's over I know it, I don't want to believe it
and I don’t know how, don’t know how to put the fire out
Let it burn, Let it burn

Tag
I guess intime I will be alright
I’llstraighten myself up, I’ll carry on
I guess intime I won’t need you in my life
I’ll guess in time with time you will be gone

Karl Smitherman © 2011 published 2012

Dainty Daffodil

The story behind this song is so soppy. I wrote it for my four year old brother Teddy. The title came to me when I had had a week back home and me and my Mum were walking Teddy to nursery before I made way for the train station. As we were ambling along the close knitted houses Teddy was pointing out every daffodil he could find, he would scream 'daffodil'. There is always that twinge of sorrow when leaving home for university. At that moment I decided I wanted to write a lullaby for my youngest brother. The overall message of the song explains how no matter how alone one may feel, they are never truly alone for there are family, friends and God!  The second verse warns against the dangers of the world, perhaps the loss of innocence growing up. However it grasps onto the story of Narcissus. Narcissus is a character in Greek mythology, he found his reflection in a pool and fell in love with himself (he was extremely handsome...as I would know), he was unable to leave his reflection so died starring at himself. They say where his body lay grew a daffodil, hence why the plant is sometimes called Narcissus, and why I thought to mention it in this song. When listening to old folk songs a lot of the time you'd hear beauty being described as fair skin and golden hair. My brother has both of these qualities which made it all the better as it gave the song an authentic vibe. The lullaby is only short and simple, but this is how I like songs to be.

A meadow is a world of a place to a dainty daffodil,

One could be stricken by fear when standing in those fields,
Loneliness has its cure this is what I’m told,
A flower growing wild will never grow alone

The world is cruel and the depth of the pool will surely lure you in,
Whence in turn a dilly will grow a dilly daffodil,
Don’t be fooled by the waters return, not the image that it shows,
The mind is only thin so we will help you grow

I give you skin like a petal so soft and hair just as gold
A flower will never be lost it will always have a home
Rest your head upon my brow and dream of the mysteries untold
Place your burdens on me now you will never grow alone

Loneliness has a cure this is what I’m told,
A flower growing wild will never grow alone

Karl Smitherman © 2011 published 2012

The Moon and the Three Lakes

This song is a bit tongue in cheek; I wrote it with the intention on being a true old fashioned country song, similar to 'Big Rock Candy Mountain' by Harry McClintock. That song had an easy summer vibe about it. You can hear the song and almost picture it. I suppose this is what I was trying to create with my song. The idea came to me a number of years ago, there is a lake around the corner from my home in Kent called 'Three Lakes', there lie three separate lakes closely huddled together, each one made popular by Carp. I decided to put the moon in front of the name simply because it sounded better in song.
I first started writing the first two verses on the train back home to Kent. I was awfully excited about visiting the countryside again, then the chorus game randomly when walking back from town. For the next two years the song lay dormant in the back of my mind, when suddenly I wrote the final verses, a couple of months later the mid 8 was completed.
The song speaks for itself, it's a story about a casually stroll to the lake, leading to a lifetime spent there, naturally along the way they found their love and probably a lot of Carp (sigh awful joke).

Verse 1
There's a place to go where I'd never been
It's a good place to get away,
There are sand and shells, scuttles and snails
At the moon and the three lakes

Verse 2
So me and my mind went strolling one time
To explore and take a break
We ended up there to throw away our cares
At the moon and the three lakes

Chorus
At the moon, at the moon, at the moon,
At the moon and the three lake,
Memories swoon
Rosebuds bloom
At the moon and the three lake

Verse 3
So for years on end we'd always return
To that place most everyday
I found my first love and the ones since then
At the moon and the three lake

Verse 4
Though time has not been kind to me
Well the lake it's stayed the same
Same bend in the creek, same tide to the stream
At the moon and the three lake

Chorus
At the moon, at the moon, at the moon
At the moon and the three lake,
Memories swoon
Rosebuds bloom
At the moon and the three lake

Mid 8
There's something about that way of life
Which with money you couldn't buy
Can't sell the years we've had at the lake
Can't buy the years it's taken away

Chorus
At the moon, at the moon. at the moon
At the moon and the three lake,
Memories swoon
Rosebuds bloom
At the moon and the three lake

Karl Smitherman © 2012 published 2012

Into the Night

This is my favourite of all the songs I've have written, but to be honest the lyrics aren't much without the melody. At the time of writing this song I was listening to many war standards such as 'Yours' 'Lili Marlene' and 'A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square'. I remember thinking that these were some of the best love songs which I have heard. I've always been fascinated with romance in the war time, there seemed to be a mixture or  longing, waiting around and sometimes hastiness. People could meet and 2 weeks later be married knowing that their husband will be fighting in a few days. However many of the song's spoke about a love that would last a lifetime, which made me realise you don't see that as much in the charts anymore (I bet someone proves me wrong).
Of course when writing songs we always have someone in mind, as I did, though it was the setting of the song which truly created it. As I was writing I imagined a couple waltzing in some old fashioned London park in the middle of the night under the stars and moon (after which I realised the majority of the parks are locked after a certain time). In some ways this is the love which I hope we will find. I've always been a bit old fashioned and I guess this song proves it. My favourite lyrics in the song are "To me you’ll always be mine and I’ll be the same to you" I believe that one line truly sums up the whole song.
A final source of inspiration was a painting by John Bull, I can't find the title of it but a reprint sits in my room opposite my bed. I know it simply as John Bull 1950. The image shows a couple leaning in for a kiss under the stars, it is marvellous.

Verse 1

Underneath the lamplight

Or there beneath the moonlight
It don’t matter which light,
My love will be sure to find you

Verse 2

Way beneath the starlight

It can even reach the far light
No there’s nothing it can’t find,
That won’t bring myself to you.

Build 
I’ll always be your lamplight,
As long as you kiss me right
Then the rest we can leave for the night
 
Chorus
Sailing,
Sailing into the night with you
 
Verse 3
Head towards the sky out,
With you it feels like I could fly out,
Caress my face and try out
The things we plan to do
 
Build
It won’t matter which life,
As long as you hold me tight,
Then the rest we can leave for the night,
Let’s see what we can do
 
Chorus
Sailing,
Sailing into the night with you
 
Mid 8
Longer than this lifetime, like an old warn out rhyme
To me you’ll always be mine and I’ll be the same to you
 
Chorus
Sailing,
Sailing into the night
Sailing,
Sailing into the night with you

Karl Smitherman © 2011 published 2012

The House

Although this song was pretty recent I don't remember much about writing it. I remember sitting in my housemate's old bedroom, she had moved out and the room was bare. I started trying to play guitar and this song came to me. All I knew when starting this song was that I wanted it to be about a house. I had heard so many house songs such as Loretta Lynn's 'This Old House' and Bette Midler's 'This Ole House' and I wanted my own one.
I see this song as a man returning in old age to his childhood house having achieved nothing. I guess the story speaks of dreams that have gone wrong. The character has only God left and has stuck with him throughout the years; before he dies he decides to rebuild his old home so that he can leave something in this world behind. I had written the chorus about 3 years ago just as I was moving to Guildford, at that time I had nothing but myself and God. I didn't know what to do with the verses I had written back then, when this song came along I thought it a perfect opportunity to strip the other verses and place one of them in this song, which got me the chorus.

Verse 1

The house still stands on top of the hill
But it’s not as strong and not as still
When the wind blows it leans to the left
The floorboards creak though the place is bare

This is the house I once called home
Where us kids grew from flesh to bone
The carpet stained, the curtains draped
The dust now sits on the fireplace

My art once clung to the cupboard there
Now the doors of hinge and the shelf are bare
I wouldn’t think to climb those worn out stairs
And the grass has grown to the window ledge

Build
Oh my God what’s wrong with the world?
It’s seen me change, it’s seen me change
It watched and didn’t help

Chorus
Now the road is my companion
I walk with him he’s understanding
The paths I choose are from a half heart
I’ve never been good at reading the stars
I started here with many a man
With faith and hope I aim for the end
Yes I make do with all that I’ve got
I roam with no one but me and my God

(Filter to verse 2)
If you want me come and find me,
Up the road beyond the wild tree,
I’m settling down its been to long
It’s about time this house was a home

Verse 2
Someday I’ll rebuild that house
In the same place it’s standing now
I’ll fix that hinge on the front gate
The one that used to keep me awake

Twice as long three times as wide
If not this life then the other side
With sticks, hay and brick I’ll lay it down
So the wolf can’t knock it to the ground

Build
Oh my God I can’t see far
I see the light, I see the light
In times of dark

Chorus
Now the road is my companion
I walk with him he’s understanding
The paths I choose are from a half heart
I’ve never been good at reading the stars
I started here with many a man
And with faith and hope I aim for the end
Yes I make do with all that I’ve got

I roam with no one but me and my God

Karl Smitherman © 2012

Lonely this year

There I was feeling sorry for myself as I often do in my spare time, Christmas was fast approaching and I remembered that each Chritsmas for the past 3 years I had promised to be in a steady relationship by the next snow fall (of course because of my shear pickiness it's almost impossible lol). This song hit me this Chritsmas gone, it was originally two different Christmas songs that I had put together, as each song was unable to stand alone.
I always find Christmas such a romantic time of the year, and if I'm honest I get a little sick/jealous of seeing couples in the street. I blame Judy Garlands 'Meet me in St Louis' for my fantasies about this time of year.
"Holly round the candle wick" refers to the decorations used in the Victorian times, in paintings you can see that candles are decorated with holly at the base, hence giving me the first lyric to the song. I guess they missed out on the electronic singing Santa and the bulb lighted reindeers in the garden. As Bridget Jones confirms if you are single over this period, you go back home to your parents' house to celebrate, which gave me the lyrics "I'll head back home again". In the chorus the lyrics are asking for a person to remember me over this time of year, soppy but true. A song is a fantastic disguise for someone's true emotions.

Verse 1

Holly round the candle wick I can’t believe it’s come this quick,

Another year over, another promise broken
I promised this time by next year, with all my love and all my cheer,
To have their hand around my waist pulling me closer to their face.

Build

I’ll, I’ll head back home again,

If home is where it started, is it where it will end?

Chorus

All I ask is a merry little Christmas,

All I ask is you think of me,
I’ll refuse with the spirit and cheer,
It’s awfully lonely this year,
It’s awfully lonely this year.

Verse 2
Sleigh rides will be all packed out, with him and her when homes the Alps,
The frozen lake won’t last too long; I wouldn’t do it on my own,
I couldn’t cut the Christmas tree, when alas there was but me,
The mistletoe looks pretty small with no-one underneath at all.

Build 2
I’ll, I’ll head back home again,
Where the sights are all the same as it was since way back then

Chorus

All I ask is a merry little Christmas,

All I ask is you think of me,
I’ll refuse with the spirit and cheer,
It’s awfully lonely this year,
It’s awfully lonely this year

Mid 8
There’s nothing the matter, nothing’s wrong but nothings right,
There’s always next winter, I can wait until next time...until next time.

 Chorus 

All I ask is a merry little Christmas,
All I ask is you think of me,
I’ll refuse with the spirit and cheer,
It’s awfully lonely this year,
It’s awfully lonely this year

Karl Smitherman © 2011 published 2012

I have recorded a demo of this song, with a fantastic musician David Burt playing all you hear on here, of course the voice is mine lol feel free to give it a listen.

http://soundcloud.com/romanimusic/romani-lonely-this-year

In the lap of the mountain

Alas, another song of lament. I have always loved the old traditional English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh songs, like 'The Water is Wide' 'Danny Boy' and 'Red is the Rose'. Those songs always strike a nerve within me, to me they are the most powerful of all songs whenever someone sings them I get goosebumps up my spine.

I find it much easier to write an old folk song than a pop song, I think the lyrics are much simpler. My favourite of all songs is a song by Dolly Parton titled 'The Grass is Blue' it is one of the saddest song ever (and surprise a folk/bluegrass song) . When reading an article about Dolly's songwriting someone concluded her skills as "clever headed simplicity" (I cannot quote the source, I can't find it sorry), from that moment I thought that's how song should be...clever but simple. I feel this song is my own version of 'The Grass is Blue'

This song came to me randomly when I went back home to Kent for the summer. I believe the song talks about a relationship that has failed. Someone has been left by their lover and retreated to the mountains. I heard this saying at the time of writing this that no matter the environment a human is in, if they can survive it they will adapt to it. The person in the song has been waiting for so long for their lover to return, that they have started to adapt to the ways of the mountain. This is of course taken to the extremes because in the song they are slowly turning into the mountain. Or if you can't make heads or tails of this you could see the mountain as a metaphor for the person's loneliness.  

Verse 1
In the lap of the mountain there’s a silence bout’ the place,
Didn’t think I was the crying kind but it’s not for me to say,
Now I cry more than often and the tears they tell the pain
In the lap of the mountain I surrender to its ways.

Chorus

I am the mountains stillness

I am strong just like the base
Occasionally a stream runs south
Like the stain across my face

Verse 2

Most of the time I’m lonely I am first to feel the cold

Some marvel at my beauty, or find me hard to behold
I cry like the wild, like a wolf might do the moon,
I welcome any stranger, I am cut down and used.

Chorus 2

Feels like I’ve been here forever

I know how to lure you in
I know how to make you frightened
I know how to make you sing

Tag

From the lap of the mountain, well I know not to stray

Someday you might return to me, oh maybe someday.

Tag

I am the mountains stillness

I am strong just like the base
Occasionally a stream runs south
Like the stain across my face

Karl Smitherman © 2011 published 2012

What's in store for me?

This song is not complete, it has been in the works for nearly three years, half the time sitting on a shelf. I started penning this song when I was about to leave my home in Kent to move to Guildford for uni. I had not a penny to my name, a deposit to place on a house and two weeks of living before my student loan came through.

The song talks about making the next move in life, moving into the next chapter. It speaks of following Jesus through it all. It speaks of the badness and temptations in life (The fruit on the tree in Adam and Eve) and talks about war (the fall of Jericho) but after this it mentions the goodness that God can do (such as tame the lions for Daniel or calming the sea for Jesus) and finally it talks about being saved (Moses splitting the sea and Jesus dying for our sins). Looking back on the song I see it as the journey through life, how sometimes we are led astray into darkness, sometimes we are bound in goodness, but no matter what God is there for us and will save us.

Verse 1
Rest my head upon your shoulder
rest my heart upon your sleeve
I'm no saint was born a sinner
follow the one from Galilee

Verse 2
I have walked on many miles
I have yet got far to go
I've been kicked out of my hometown
and I have felt many a stone

Chorus 1
I heard cities fell to rubble
I heard wiseness grew on trees
but as I make my way forward
I wonder what's in store for me

Chorus 2
I've heard Daniel tamed the lions
I've heard Jesus calmed the sea
as I make my way forward
I wonder what's in store for me

Chorus 3
I heard Moses split the ocean
I heard Jesus died for me
and as I make my way onward
I wonder what's in store for me

Karl Smitherman ©  2009 published 2012

The song doesnt generate an answer but it gives us the options to choose from in life, do we simply relish in the bad or do we live our lives aware and through God?

Precious

If not for recently ‘Precious’ was one of the most intense affairs I have suffered with lovelorn, the song has had 2 years of waiting to be written, I only wrote it about 2 months ago, but I find that during periods of intense emotion I will sometimes go numb, it's not till after the experience I am able to examine my emotions to write the song. However, by intense emotion I really do mean extreme!!! I've only ever gone numb twice but it doesn't last at all long.

People often ask me why I have so much pride in my appearance; they tend not to say it so politely it's more like "How long does it take you to do your hair? don't you get bored?" or "Why'd you wear make-up?" I've never told anyone the real reason, this is because there is not just one reason but a series of events, firstly we never had much money or proper decent clothes growing up as mentioned before we often were send hand-me-downs from our cousins, so when my student loan came through I blew it on clothes. Growing up I always wanted to have the latest trends to feel good, but we couldn't afford it. Secondly much to my discomfort in admitting this (knowing my brother's will get a kick) my brothers were always perceived as the better looking children (yes I noticed all the sly remarks from people lol). However it was my affair with unrequited love which pushed it to extremes, from this I made the major jump from level 1 to 10.

Even now when my brother Craig goes back home to Mum he grasses me up to her, showing her my pictures on Facebook, ones where I look a little drag like (I'm not a drag! they are far to flawless and extreme). Peoples remarks are "Why does he do that?" or "Oh you look better without it" I think they are merely concerned. I can't say I am either proud or sheepish about how I look, it just is.

Precious

Verse 1
They say that I'm too precious for these things
fancy clothes as silver rings
and they say that I'm too precious to be tainted by
my painted face and coloured dye

Chorus
If I'm so precious through and through
then why'd you go break my heart in two
hand-me-downs they were never enough
to cover up how you broke me up

Verse 2
So I gave away all that I was
in exchange for a bit of hope,
no one could see past my facade
of all the hurt and hell I paid

Chorus 2
No one guessed, no one knew
I made the game, I changed the rules
to cover up this lovers bluff
of how you went and broke me up

Mid 8
I tried to give you this heart of mine
I'll keep on trying till I leave this world behind
If I keep on loving you will I find
some morning when I wake that you will be mine?

Chorus 3
What a way to live a life
behind a veil of shame and lies
but sometimes I wonder is it really enough
cover up from when you broke me up

Tag
Sometimes I wonder is it really enough
cover up from when you broke me up

Karl Smitherman © 2012 published 2012

Gypsy

Gypsy

Where would you start after the introduction? It didn't take long to figure that once you knew about my past 'Man of Kent' that perhaps we could delve deeper into the history.

My Mums side of the family were descendents from Romanian Gypsies. I myself; however much I try cannot claim to be a gypsy. The family gave up that way of life decades ago. I've always been intrigued by the gypsies lifestyle, my aunt would tell stories of the wagons, the horses, the instruments, the immaculate homes and the fussy non nonsense don't buy the cheap stuff but the best of the best!!

I wrote Gypsy in no more than 5 minutes apart from the middle 8, that usually comes a good few months later when writing songs, that way I have a deeper understanding of the song and I have had time to change bits I didn't like. Actually I started writing Gypsy in the bath, many of my songs come to me in the bath...I thinks it's because I am so relaxed.

When penning the song I was wondering what it would be like if the family never gave up the free roaming lifestyle, I would like to think that I could still dwell in my singing and songwriting and that's what the song speaks about, about being a performer on the streets. It also talks about bewitching the one you love with charm, as I often try to do (evil laugh intended).

I guess it is too late now to be a gypsy but as stated in the song "Gypsy is my name" referring to my stage name Romani, I will always be a "Gypsy in the rough" never a fully qualified one, but a free roaming one, if not in travel's (as I hope) but in spirit, as there will always be "Gypsy in the blood"

Verse 1

The street calls my name and I can’t resist

I’m like that flower in the breeze I took off and I left

The fiddler plucked the strings while the drummer made the beat

Before the crowd could gather I could feel it in my feet 

Chorus

Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy

Gypsy in the rough and there’s gypsy in the blood 

Verse 2

Painted face and scarlet bows will lure the strangers in

You can’t break my charm with you magic talisman

I serenade the crowd when I dance the whole night through

When I sing a single song I sing it just for you 

Chorus 2

Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy

Gypsy in the rough and there’s gypsy in the blood

Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy

Don’t break a gypsy’s heart for its dangerous and dark

Mid 8

With my smoke and scents and illusions

There’s nothing to this magic

My stones and sands and tarot stacks

This could surely end up tragic 

One by one the coins will fall,

Watch them as they hit the crowd

One by one the coins will fall

One by one they’ll tumble down  

 Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy

  

Chorus 2

Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy

Gypsy in the rough and there’s gypsy in the blood

Ooh Gypsy is my name, Ooh Gypsy

Don’t break a gypsy’s heart for its dangerous and dark

© Karl Smitherman 2011 published 2012

Man of Kent

Man of Kent

I guess a good place to start would be at the beginning. I grew up in Kent, which is known as the Garden of England due to its greenery, and fruit picking. There was nothing better than strolling through the woodland at Christmas for pine cones, or ambling along the countryside in the summer to the nearest beer garden to quench our thirst. We never had much money growing up I remember fighting over my brothers for hand-me-downs "the first to see it, gets it" we'd scream.
I felt my Dad was always the one to support us and our dreams, my Mum was slightly more realistic, she knew just how much work it would take, after all she never stopped looking after us children and making the house a home. Altogether I have 11 brothers and sister (5 real, 6 step), I guess because of this the majority of us had large independent personalities, each unique just to try and stand out from the last one and from the next...

If you were born in Kent you would either be considered a Man of Kent of a Kentish Man depending on which side of the river Medway you were from, the east would be the former, whilst the west the latter, I guess from the title you can tell I'm a Man of Kent.

Verse 1

In the country there's peace of mind,
where life's as free as a dandelion,
peace of mind is where you ought to be.
I grew up in the garden Kent,
Where the hops were harvest and the rapeseed shed,
these simple things meant a lot to me.

Verse 2

Like summer walks and country pubs,
England's garden where magic was
my Dad would hold me high and say "go dream,
cos you can be just who you are
a humble man, or a travelling star
but a Man of Kent, always a Man of Kent you will be"

Chorus

I wanna go home, take me home, take me home,
I'm a Man of Kent, ain't seen it since I don't know when
take me home

Verse 3

Oh my Mum would do me proud,
still puts the hours in for us now,
at times I close my eyes and make believe,
that I still am a kid at heart,
rolling in my Mommas arms
singing rhyme and humming melody

Chorus

I wanna go home, take me home, take me home,
I'm a Man of Kent, ain't seen it since I don't know when
take me home

Mid 8

The distant humming of the trains
the apple orchard down the lane
all a little out the way from my old home.
The chimney tour of the mill
the berries growing wild still
stone church behind the rolling hills
of which no one knows

 Chorus

I wanna go home, take me home, take me home,
I'm a Man of Kent, ain't seen it since I don't know when
take me home

End © Karl Smitherman 2011 published 2012

I don't live in Kent no more, but I hope someday to retire back there, I'd be a fool not to as it truly is the Garden of England, for all you Sittingbourner's if you haven't guessed which place I am describing in the Mid 8 it's Tonge Pond, where after months of faffing about I finally finished this song.

Introduction

Introduction

I never knew that blogs were so popular, I had never thought about blogging until recently, after all what could be so interesting in my life to blog about?

 If I were to write about the dramatics of my life I'm sure it would add to a collection of blogs which already exist. The truth would be that I would probably not be honest, perhaps because I'd feel to foolish to admit my emotions, however, the other day I came across someones blog who took to posting lyrics...then it hit me, I am constantly writing songs, if not a whole song a day I would write sentences, titles, things which inspire me and which I could soon turn into a song. I write more stuff than I could hope to record, plus how much easier is it to write down my lyrics than to record the song itself?

The lyrics I write would always highlight the extremes of my life, I always thought that if you spread my lyrics out in front of you, you'd know everything there was to know about me...things that I unfortuantly am not brave enough to admit.

I guess many a song writer would say that their songs were a confession, so here is mine...I can't promise perfection but then again who can?