1) an Austral… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least nine artists with the name Paul Kelly:
1) an Australian singer-songwriter
2) an American film and TV composer
3) an American soul singer & songwriter
4) an Irish folk singer and songwriter
5) a member of British bands Birdie and East Village
6) a member of English rock band Northern Uproar
7) an English multi-instrumentalist for The Islanders
8) an American bass player
9) a member of The Martial Arts, BMX Bandits and How to Swim
1) Paul Kelly is an Australian singer-songwriter, based in Melbourne, and widely considered as an icon of Australian music. He has released music under his own name and as Paul Kelly and the Messengers, Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, and Paul Kelly and the Stormwater Boys. His output has ranged from bluegrass to studio-oriented dub reggae, but his core output comfortably straddles folk, rock, and even some country. His lyrics, simply and laconically voiced, have managed to speak to Australian experiences and history perhaps more broadly and directly than any other artist.
2) Paul Kelly is an American composer based in New York City. He is the talent that brings music to the world of film, TV, and advertising. He has been sought after by renowned directors, like Oliver Stone, for his blockbuster films, Savages, Any Given Sunday, Comandante and Oscar-Nominated short film Everything In This Country Must. Glowing reviews that Kelly has received, can be seen in the following from Thom Jurek, Soundings in Film, who say, “His moving sound constructions are full of emotions and moods — not all of them pleasant — and his takes on funk, rock, and blues are not journeyman, but those of a musician who takes these art forms seriously and seeks to represent them accurately in his utterances. Kelly may be a sketcher, but his sketches stand on their own outside the realm of the image,” and Frank O. Gutch Jr, Evolution In Film, who give glowing context to the work of Kelly in the following, “Paul Kelly knows what music is. He knows that it can be a setup, a climax, or an anticlimax. He knows the value of music applied to other media. More than that, he knows music. Not at all unlike a classical composer or even the rock band which plays beyond the fringe, he creates music for a reason.”
Visit http://paulkelly.com for more information.
3) Paul Kelly (born Paul Laurence Dunbar Kelly in Overtown, Miami, Florida, USA on 19 June 1940) is an American Soul singer, musician and producer. He is best known for the song "Stealing in the Name of the Lord", which was a hit in 1970. And in 1974 another hit with "Hooked, Hogtied & Collared" from the album with the same title. He also wrote "Personally", which has been widely-covered, and was a hit for soul singer Jackie Moore, as well as country singers Karla Bonoff and Ronnie McDowell. Other songs have been covered by gospel artists, including The Mighty Clouds Of Joy and The Staple Singers.
4) Paul Kelly (born 1957 in Dublin) is an Irish folk singer and songwriter. He has played Irish traditional music, bluegrass and country, and is equally at home in a variety of different styles of music.
5) Paul Kelly is a British member of Birdie and East Village
6) Paul Kelly is a member of English rock band Northern Uproar
7) Paul Kelly is an English multi-instrumentalist for The Islanders
8) Paul Kelly is an American bass player
9) a member of The Martial Arts, BMX Bandits and How to Swim
Stories of Me
Paul Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've had a reputation
I'm not drinking on the sly
I'm the star attraction
Every morning I wake up
Fill my cup and listen bitterly
To stories of me
He looks a lot like me
They say that man is going down
It's looking pretty likely
Every morning he wakes
Fills his cup and listens shamefully
To stories of me
Everybody come on down
Set 'em up and pass 'em round
We're all here for a drowning
I was down at Baker's Hall
I heard somebody talking
That's the last thing I recall
Then my mind went walking
I woke up with a heavy head
On a hard bed trying to believe
These stories of me
Yeah I woke up in a stranger's bed
Wondering about the things she said to me
These stories of me
The song "Stories of Me" by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly tells the story of a man who has been the subject of gossip and rumors since his partner left him. The character in the song denies the rumors about his alcohol consumption and his reputation, but is clearly affected by the stories that are being spread. The song is a reflection on how our actions and decisions can shape our public image and the way we are perceived by others.
The first verse sets the stage for the song, with the character explaining that he is not drinking on the sly and is, in fact, the "star attraction" in his current life. However, he wakes up every morning and listens "bitterly" to the rumors that are being spread about him. The second verse reveals that there is another man who looks like him and is also rumored to be going down the same path. The character in the song listens "shamefully" to the stories about this other man. The chorus is an invitation for others to join him for a drink - "set 'em up and pass 'em round," a sign that he is struggling with his identity and is perhaps using alcohol as a crutch to cope.
The third verse is the most vivid in the song, with the character remembering waking up in a stranger's bed, wondering about the things she said to him. He is trying to reconcile his own memories with the rumors that are being spread about him. The song is a haunting portrayal of how quickly our lives can spin out of control, and how difficult it can be to regain control of our own narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since you said goodbye
Since the moment you left, my life has been different.
I've had a reputation
People talk about me and what they think I'm like.
I'm not drinking on the sly
I'm not secretly drinking alcohol.
I'm the star attraction
I'm the center of attention.
Every morning I wake up
Every day when I wake up.
Fill my cup and listen bitterly
I pour myself a drink and listen to the negative things people say about me with resentment.
To stories of me
To the stories and rumors that have been spread about me.
They say a man is going 'round
There are rumors of a man going around.
He looks a lot like me
He bears a strong resemblance to me.
They say that man is going down
They say that man is experiencing hardship.
It's looking pretty likely
It seems probable.
Every morning he wakes
Each day, that man wakes up.
Fills his cup and listens shamefully
He pours himself a drink and listens to negative things about himself with embarrassment.
To stories of me
To the stories and rumors being spread about me.
Everybody come on down
Everyone, please come here.
Set 'em up and pass 'em round
Let's order drinks and share them.
We're all here for a drowning
We're all here to drink heavily and forget our problems.
I was down at Baker's Hall
I went to Baker's Hall.
I heard somebody talking
I overheard someone speaking.
That's the last thing I recall
I can't remember what happened after that moment.
Then my mind went walking
I lost control of my thoughts or consciousness.
I woke up with a heavy head
I woke up feeling hungover or unwell.
On a hard bed trying to believe
I woke up on an uncomfortable bed, trying to make sense of what had happened.
These stories of me
The stories and rumors that have been spread about me.
Yeah I woke up in a stranger's bed
I opened my eyes in a bed that wasn't mine, with someone unfamiliar.
Wondering about the things she said to me
Thinking about what that person said to me and trying to make sense of it.
These stories of me
The rumors and stories circulating about me that are affecting my life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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