How to make gravy, Paul Kelly




My favourite songs tell a story.

And Kelly is a masterful storyteller.

He sets his song in an Australian summer. The video too is native to our shores. The old metal clothesline is sublime. For too long we’ve been inundated with snow and winter references at Christmas. But Kelly sings of it being…

A hundred degrees, maybe more,
But that won’t stop the roast

Yep, that’s us Aussies. It’s stinking hot and we make it hotter. The gravy is rough and ready…

Just add flour, salt, a little red wine
And don't forget a dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and that extra tang

Who makes gravy like this? Ah, who cares, it’ll do. Christmas is meant to be a simple affair. And us Aussies are simple folk.

“Gravy” is great because it’s an apology. Christmas can be that time to make sure others hear about your grudges. But this man wants others to know he’s sorry. He confesses…

Tell 'em all I'm sorry I screwed up this time

He’s not just sorry. He’s really sorry.

“Gravy” is great is because Joe knows his friends well. We know who has a new boyfriend, what her old one was like and who is a pushover. Even though he’s in gaol it seems he’s kept in touch. That’s a great lesson. Don’t be a stranger. Get to know others.

“Gravy” is great because it has a sense of humour…

Oh, praise the Baby Jesus, have a Merry Christmas,
I'm really gonna miss it, all the treasure and the trash

The prisoner praises! And he’d gladly exchange ‘standing in line’ even for the trash of Christmas.

Above all, what makes “Gravy” great is its hope. It rises above despair…

If I get good behaviour, I’ll be out of here by July

Joe has hope. Yet his optimism is quelled by fear. His hope hangs on others. He could be betrayed by someone close…

And you'll dance with Rita, I know you really like her
Just don't hold her too close
Oh brother please don't stab me in the back

We’ve all been there. When things are beyond our control. So we hope.

But Joe is determined. The song rises, the slide guitar squeals and Kelly finally cries…

You know one of these days, I'll be making gravy
I'll be making plenty, I'm gonna pay 'em all back!

You’re confident he’ll make it. Well, you hope he will.

At this time of the year, hope may seem in short supply. But the baby born in the treasure (gold, frankincense, myrrh) and the trash (the manger) is the greatest story of hope; even though Jesus was stabbed in the back by a friend.

The hope that was born at Christmas was resurrected on that Sunday.

So, I guess we can say, “She’ll be right…” It’s what Aussies say when things are usually at their worst. But we press on. And this song compels us to do the same.

Why?

Just like Joe, we too have hope.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Peace on earth, U2

Image
Not hopeless but hope-full. Bono is many things. And one of those is the most hopeful man on the planet. Ever since he and three of his mates strutted their stuff across the world’s stage, he’s been determined to change it. Sure, not much seems to have changed. But you’ve got to hand it to him. The man has hope. Yet as he opens this song, you wonder if he’s given up… Sick of sorrow, I’m sick of the pain I'm sick of hearing, again and again That there's gonna be peace on Earth At times during the song it feels like Bono can’t hit the necessary notes. Whilst he’d admit that’s a daily occurrence, on this song it’s as if… Jesus in the song you wrote The words are sticking in my throat Can he keep declaring there will be peace on earth? Can he hang onto hope? A younger Bono would’ve provided the answer. He would’ve stopped the show to tell us THE ANSWER whilst we all wished he’d just get on with the show. So, older and wiser he turns it ov...
Read more

One star, Onestarband

Pure joy. When I hear this song my heart rejoices. The fact that it’s sung by my niece when she was tiny is one reason. Another is my mother-in-law playing accordion. Yep, good ol’ grandma. Add a delightful glockenspiel, a ridiculously simple yet profound metaphor and it’s a delight to listen to. According to folklore, Imojjen memorised the words though she couldn’t read them. Apparently, her folks repeated the words and she took them to heart. Mrs Weaver remembered those old chords as she dug out her father’s squeezebox. I knew he played it. I never knew she did. He was famous for doing so. She ought to be too. Knowing the background to this song brings more joy. Cutes vocals, coupled with long accordion notes waltzing through the air, landing with a sweet “Awwwww…” Today, Imojjen cringes at hearing her little voice. And Mrs Weaver never thinks her playing is any good. But they have made beautiful music. This song is on high rotation at our place every...
Read more

Silent night, Joseph Mohr

Image
Sometimes one line is all that matters.   “Silent Night” is painful to sing, listen and play. It’s always performed in a drearily slow 6/8 tempo that many artists find difficult to break. As a drummer, I hate this song.   For any musos reading this, here’s musical challenge #1: Create a version of this song in another tempo   And then there’s the big idea of the song. I’ve been at the birth of my two children. That day and night were anything but silent.   I can't even get past the second line. The night Jesus was born was neither holy or calm…   And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel appeared to them and they were terrified…   The shepherds were kicking back, asking, “How’s the serenity?” when the angel rocks up causing them to poo their pants. Or robes, as the case may be. Surely Mary and Joseph were at peace. Nope, they too freaked out...   The angel went said...
Read more