Trevor Shard

Paul Kelly is one of Australia’s most revered and respected singer-songwriters.

Over a career spanning 45 years and under various guises, he has released 28 studio albums, 64 singles, 42 music videos, and contributed to 10 film / television soundtracks and scores.

In August 2025 he embarked on a tour of Australia and New Zealand to support the release in November 2025 of “Seventy”, his 28th studio album. I was fortunate to see him at one of two sold out shows at Rod Laver Arena in September 2025.

It would be fair to say that despite his “national icon” status in Australia, overseas commercial success has eluded him. Perhaps his “Australian-ness” held him back. 

With classics like “How To Make Gravy”, (voted the 9th best Australian song of all time, according to the ABC’s Double J), “To Her Door”, “Before Too Long” and “Leaps and Bounds”, which features the opening lines;

“I’m high on the hill, looking over the bridge to the MCG
Way up on high, the clock on the silo says 11 degrees”

You may well ask, what does Kelly have left to prove?

The album title relates directly to his age at the timer or recording. It is very much place and time. It’s clear that there is a sense of mortality woven into the fabric of these songs.

In “The Body Keeps The Score” Kelly explains;

“Oh, my love I’m so sorry, you’ve done nothing wrong
Oh, how could you tell, I hid it so well, even from myself
I’m a ticking time bomb”

On “Take It Handy” we hear, “the road ahead is shorter now than the road behind”.  

On “Happy Birthday Ada-Mae” we hear, “Ada Mae, you’re two today, guess I’ll be gone before you’re twenty”.     

We cannot overlook the poignant sequel to his earlier hit “How To Make Gravy” in the form of “ Rita Wrote A Letter”. Joe has been released from prison but has passed away. We don’t know how or why, but in his arms, he holds a letter from Rita, his former wife. He speaks to her from the grave. Dan’s post incarceration life didn’t really work out so great. Rita did get together with Dan and they had a child together. Kelly’s masterful writing draws the loose ends together.     

The album cover features a grainy close up – unshaven face, Kelly’s dark eyes staring straight down the camera lens. The back cover is a similar shot taken presumably at an earlier stage of life. I reckon he’s aged pretty well. As has his music.

If you want to hear the album, tune in to 88.0 HEPFM on Saturday morning at 10am.

Trevor Shard presents The Album Show on 88.0 HEPFM.