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.