Song of the Day: Adelaide by Paul Kelly

It’s the first city in the track title of my song of the day thingo! It’s the state South Australia capital city by one of greatest Aussie singer-songwriter, if not the greatest ever? We’re time traveling back to 1986 today, from his wicked epic double album called Gossip which is by Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls but America record label told him that could be racist and sexist or something like that? So the band name was changed The Messengers for oversea release. I think, it’s always a bit of joke because they’re white blokes and actually they’re named after the lyrics in Lou Reed’s song Walk on the Wild Side.

Anyway the song Adelaide itself was first recorded in 1985 and can be found on his album called Post but Paul always disliked that album or something? So he re-recorded it for this album a year later. Which by the way this song was cut from oversea release plus missing from early CD issues too but I think he’s right, Gossip version is the best but I really love his live acoustic The A – Z Recordings boxset release version of 2010, which I’m really going to have to included right now:

Listen how he adds the bit about the Aussie rules footy team the Adelaide Crows? Here’s a link to Kelly’s own website store so you can buy which one you like/love the best or any other releases you want/need by him? Here are his lyrics:

The wisteria on the back veranda is still blooming
And all the great aunts are either insane or dead
Kensington Road runs straight for a while before turning
We lived on the bend it was there I was raised and fed
Counting and running as I go
Down past the hedges all in a row
In Adelaide, Adelaide

Dad’s hands used to shake but I never knew he was dying
I was thirteen I never dreamed he could fall
And all the great aunts were red in the eyes from crying
I rang the bells I never felt nothing at all
All the king’s horses all the king’s men
Cannot bring him back again

Find me a bar or a girl or guitar where do you go on a Saturday night?
I own this town I spilled my wine at the bottom of the statue of Colonel Light
And the streets are so wide everybody’s inside
Sitting in the same chairs they were sitting in last year
This is my town!
All the king’s horses all the king’s men
Wouldn’t drag me back again
to Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide