In a small bar in lower Manhattan last night, an Australian singer-songwriter showed me just what great story telling is all about.
Paul Kelly has written a lot of songs in the past 30 years – and over two nights he’s playing a slection of them …. in alphabetical order.
He made me cry three times (or was it four) – and he only got as far as L.
Back in the days before Gutenberg and books and literacy, travelling singers brought news to towns and villages – telling stories in song about kings and their battles – and also writing songs about the experiences of the everyday people.
Those of us who write books have taken over some of that role… but when it comes to telling stories, Paul Kelly can teach us all a thing or two. Songs have the music to give added depth – but with story songs – it all comes back to the words.
Whether he’s writing about lost love and heartbreak – and he writes about that a lot – or politics, or just extolling the virtues of one of his heroes, Paul’s words go straight to the heart.
I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if I gave an example…
This is from a song about a guy who goes to the airport to meet a lost love who is coming home after years overseas.
Waiting at the terminal, suddenly I see you stroll through customs.
You’re wearing shades. Your hair is red; it used to be light brown.
I nearly didn’t recognize you, then my heart unwound.
I see you’ve got the same old walk.
There it is – in the last 12 words – everything we need to know about how much he loved her and still does.
He’s not the first songwriter to pen a Christmas song – but I guess he might be the first to do it in the form of a letter from a man in jail to his family. In this letter, he talks of all the family members he’s missing, of all the things they’ll be doing on Christmas morning without him and asks…
Who’s gonna make the gravy now? I bet it won’t taste the same.
And one again, in one simple image we understand the depth of the man’s regret and sadness.
I could go on and on. As a writer, he has the ability to find that one phrase or sentence that drives straight to the heart of the character or the story, or the theme he is writing about. That is such a rare gift.
As a writer, the greatest compliments I have ever received are from people who say my writing touched them in some way. Even made them cry.
When I confess to tears last night – that’s the best compliment I can pay. Go and listen to some of his music online – you’ll see what I mean. Start with If I Could Start This Day Again – then listen to To Her Door. By then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
As for me – I’m heading back to that downtown bar… tonight we get M-Z. I will take tissues!