Listen to the track:
đ” TALK DEVON
Inspired by the Memoirs of Vyvyen Brendon
đ¶ Verse 1
They lined me up against the wall
Said I weren’t one of them at all
No “Proper Job” no yokel grace
But I knew every cliffside place
đ¶ Verse 2
Didn’t roll my R’s or talk like they do
But I knew where the thrift and the foxglove grew
Knew when the ferry would cross the tide
And the best spot to run and hide
đ¶ Chorus
I didn’t talk Devon but I walked the land
Bare knees in nettles ice cream in hand
From Brownshill Lane to the churchyard bend
This patch of red earth was my oldest friend
đ¶ Verse 3
I knew the smell of mangle steam
And Sunday bells in a Brownie dream
Vic’s shop humbugs a tray cloth sewn
In a house we never truly owned
đ¶ Chorus
I didn’t talk Devon but I knew the way
Where the cliff path drops and the kestrels play
I played hopscotch like the rest of the crew
And I knew the sea like the locals do
đ¶ Bridge
Down by the ash tree hiding from sight
We’d jump out laughing give grannies a fright
They called me a snob but I still recall
How much I loved that stone school wall
đ¶ Final Chorus
I didn’t talk Devon but the land knew me
In the cow parsley hush and the crabapple tree
No matter the tongue I belonged back then
Wembury spoke and I answered again