There are at least nine artists with the name Paul Kelly:
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

Sweet Guy
Paul Kelly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the morning we wreck the bed
You bring me coffee black and boiling
Then we start up again and the coffee goes cold
I wake up drinking from your lips
Kisses warm and tender
And I'd give up the word just to see you smile
One thing I will never understand (It's become my problem)
And it's something that's right out of my hands (My hands are clean)

What makes such a sweet guy turn so mean?
I went to town with a moody man, a handsome Dr. Jekyll
He was right by my side turning into Mr. Hyde
I ran for cover but I ran too slow; I was stitched by strangers
And they shook their heads that someone could do the things you did
One thing I will never understand (It's become my problem)
And it's something that's right out of my hands (My hands are clean)
What makes such a sweet guy turn so mean?
I must be mad, I must be crazy, everyone tells me so
Everyday I see it coming, now I'm facing the wall, waiting for the blow
In the morning you kiss my head
You say it was another
Now you're down on your knees
Begging me to forgive you please
I wake up aching from your touch
Every muscle tender
Then I look in your eyes, the way you smile
And I'm hypnotized
One thing I will never understand
(It's become my problem)
And it's something that's right out of my hands

(My hands are clean)
What makes such a sweet guy turn so mean?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Paul Kelly's song Sweet Guy describe a tumultuous relationship between two people, where the singer struggles to understand the behavior of their partner. The opening lines suggest a pattern of passion followed by conflict, as they "wreck the bed" in the morning before the coffee has gone cold. The singer finds themselves enchanted by their partner's tenderness and kisses, willing to give up everything just to see them smile. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that this "sweet guy" has a darker side. The partner turns "so mean" and transforms from a charming "Dr. Jekyll" into a frightening "Mr. Hyde." The singer runs for cover, but they are too late and are left with physical scars from the violence. Despite this, the partner remains charismatic and beguiling, and the singer struggles to understand why they would act this way.

The song delves into the complexity of abusive relationships, where the abuser may appear charming and kind at times, causing confusion and uncertainty for the victim. The singer is torn between their love and desire for their partner and the fear and pain that they inflict. The final lines suggest that this cycle may continue, with the singer facing the wall, waiting for the next blow.

Overall, Sweet Guy is a poignant and emotionally charged examination of domestic violence that explores the confusion, fear, and love that can coexist in an abusive relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

In the morning we wreck the bed
Every morning, we passionately make love and leave the bed messed up.

You bring me coffee black and boiling
You serve me hot black coffee, just the way I like it.

Then we start up again and the coffee goes cold
Our love is so intense that we forget about the coffee, and it gets cold.

I wake up drinking from your lips
I wake up kissing you passionately as if I were drinking from your lips.

Kisses warm and tender
Our kisses are filled with warmth and tenderness.

And I'd give up the word just to see you smile
I love you so much that I would do anything to see you smile, even if it meant giving up everything I own.

One thing I will never understand (It's become my problem)
There's something about you that I can't comprehend, and it has become my personal issue.

And it's something that's right out of my hands (My hands are clean)
Whatever it is that causes you to act the way you do, I have no control over, and I am not to blame.

What makes such a sweet guy turn so mean?
I can't figure out what turns you, a loving and gentle person, into a cruel and hurtful one.

I went to town with a moody man, a handsome Dr. Jekyll
I went to town with you, a good-looking man who can have two distinct personalities.

He was right by my side turning into Mr. Hyde
You were next to me, turning into a whole different person, not the sweet guy I fell in love with.

I ran for cover but I ran too slow; I was stitched by strangers
I tried to flee from you but it was too late; I was hurt by strangers who were horrified by your actions.

And they shook their heads that someone could do the things you did
People were shocked by your behavior and couldn't believe that someone could commit such cruel acts.

I must be mad, I must be crazy, everyone tells me so
Everyone thinks I'm insane for staying with you despite your appalling behavior.

Everyday I see it coming, now I'm facing the wall, waiting for the blow
Every day, I anticipate the worst from you, and I wait for the emotional blow.

In the morning you kiss my head
In the morning, you kiss my forehead affectionately.

You say it was another
You confess that you cheated on me.

Now you're down on your knees
You're now on your knees, begging for my forgiveness.

Begging me to forgive you please
You're genuinely sorry, and you're asking me to forgive you.

I wake up aching from your touch
I wake up feeling sore from the intense love we made the night before.

Every muscle tender
Every muscle in my body is sore, yet I still feel fulfilled and satisfied.

Then I look in your eyes, the way you smile
When I look into your eyes and see how you smile, I forget about everything else and become captivated.

And I'm hypnotized
I become entranced by your charm and love, and I can't resist you.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL MAURICE KELLY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@FlyersRightsdotorg

16y↑1

I must have worn out this cassette back in its day. Never get tired of listening to this song. Thanks a ton for adding this.

@shux422

1y↑2

Sensational tune. What does make a sweet guy turn so mean? The opportunity to blame someone else for all his failings perhaps?
And it's true - familiarity breeds contempt.

@drumdust

Such a classic song, love the 60's sounding keyboard.

@xiphocostal

35w

I don't think I really understood this song until I saw Vika Bull sing it. Amazing. I learnt after many of his songs came out that Kelly often writes from the POV of women or children.

@lapalad

15y

Another classic from Paul Kelly

@i_am_kanani

15y

i love this song. i might end up signing this for a school thing idk i just love this song a lot.

@BowieRulez

13y↑2

I hope people realize that he is singing this song from the perspective of a woman. He does it quite a lot. It's great.

@irishaussie970

16y

Great song!

@eddddddievh

14y↑1

Brillant song writing

@rosskirby507

1y↑1

The Messengers were the be set group he has ever had

@itsnato88

15y

great song thanks for putting up (Y)

@Bennyboy1985

13y

This song came out when I was 4 years old, and I think instead of 'I must be mad, I must be crazy' he was singing 'Alice be mad, Alice be crazy'. I wondered who Alice was and why she was mad!?

@pescadoygamba

12y

I stumbled upon him at a bookshop in st.kilda one night where he was reading from a newly published book,always seems like an unassuming guy.

@bindybooful

Thank you for this video and the information. Now I understand and it makes sense.

@scribecopywriting2124

Came here because I was in Bondi today and a guy put his head out a car window and let out a howl just like the one at the beginning of this track, at a hot girl walking along the main strip...

@carpetcle

15y

I always thought he said " what makes a sweet girl dance for me" I think I prefer to remember it that way........

@shux422

Yeah well remember it in a stupid way then if it makes you happy

@hectorsalinasisback

11y↑1

There are some cases where men become mean after they find out their wife or partner is cheating or is not trustworthy. I knew my wife was cheating and remained silent for 2 years. By the 3rd year, I became mean, locked her out of the house and cut off her access to my bank account. In doing so, I discovered she had a chemical dependancy and spent thousands of dollars on illegal drugs. Currently, she has an STD, lives in a halfway house (5th rehab) and we remain good friends.

@the_street_preacher

45w

wowza.

@SconeMason

14y

You have to like a guy who would name his album after a Raymond Carver shortstory.

@celestemoon

16y

I always felt sort of guilty bopping to a song about domestic violence. Still love the song though.

@Stocky76

16y↑1

I'm a little perturbed at how Paul Kelly himself bops along in the video clip. Brilliant songwriting though.

@jnagtube

6y↑1

thats probably the feeling he wants you to feel

@banacheck1797

11y

I don't know. I think it adds a good contrast against what the song is about and the parts of the film clip that show the women at the table with her head in her hands ect. Other wise it would just be a bunch of dudes sitting around looking mopey and maybe end up seeming a bit pretentious. Or maybe domestic violence just really puts a bounce in his step.

@keithwigley1256

Ban Acheck

@MrAdrianpd123

12y

@BowieRulez Oh yes I HOPE people realize this! God(ess) forbid that soem people might think he could possibly be singing from the perspective of a man!!! But heterosexism aside, domestic violence can also very real issue in gay (and lesbian) relationships.

@adamjamesgee8612

Pages like this make me sick. Why limit playback?

@cathrynmurdoch6339

8y↑2

Love the howl at the bigging - this song should be dedicated to all the women who have suffered at the hands of domestic violence - shame on the government for not allocating enough funding to domestic violence prevention and protection shame shame women and children deserve protection now in 2016

@owenrees7544

Geez another wacko hijacking the thread to push their own agenda. Aussie men seem to be doing a pretty good job already

@herpderpherpd

6y↑1

Owen you might wanna check the victims of crime stats too. Almost all of those are perpetrated against other men.

@purejoy58

11y↑1

what makes a guy turn mean, mental problems?

@shux422

Personal failings and an inability to accept them. It's always someone else's fault and the loyal 'missus' will cop it and still accept me (in their minds)

@hectorsalinasisback

11y

Your statement is slightly biased, considering you own and operate a meat processing plant. You want to cut them off so you can prepare them for consumption?

@ElPrezAU

15y↑1

Poor bugger... the looks don't really match the talent. ;)

@lifesshorttt

went down hill when he gave away the band. became a camp fire artist. self absorbed and boring. great artist though.

@Sonofserbia

This is a rip off. Of do the evolution pearl jam eddie vedar even does the howl. Pfffft

@elwoodguy

5y↑10

A 1989 song can't be a rip off of a 1998 song. However, he might have 'borrowed' the guitar riff from a 1986 song - Smoking Gun by Robert Cray.

@exF3-86

5y↑8

@sonofserbia: As it says in the description, Paul Kelly released this in 1989. Peal Jam released their song 1998. Let's rely on facts, which say you are wrong. Pffft.