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
Tighten Up
Paul Kelly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Scrapping in the back yard - 4 Be 2
Daddy's smokin' motor didn't make it up the hill
Mama can't pay, she got one day, she got no money for the telephone bill
Tighten up, tighten up
Everything falls apart
Mama says to Papa now - Where ya been?
Mama get excited, she having an attack
Mama spins round, daddy hits the ground
For too long now she been taking up the slack
Tighten up, tighten up
Everything falls apart
Jimmy coming home now - see him on the run
Mama's going through the cupboards--looking for a can
Daddy on a ladder, T.V. on the blink
Mama can't think, Daddy's feeling like a drink
And all the dirty dishes Lord are piling up the sink
Tighten up, tighten up
Everything falls apart
Tighten up, tighten up
Everything falls apart
The song 'Tighten Up' by Paul Kelly talks about the struggles of a family that is falling apart because of financial issues. The mother is unable to pay the telephone bill and the father is struggling to make ends meet with a broken-down vehicle. Mama is portrayed as being very emotional, as she's having an attack and spinning around while Daddy hits the ground. Although it is not stated in the lyrics, it's quite possible that Mama has been taking up the slack for far too long and can no longer take it anymore, leading to an outburst of emotion.
In the chorus, Kelly implores the family to tighten up because everything is falling apart. He highlights various problems in the family's life, such as Jimmie coming home on the run and Mama going through the cupboards looking for cans. Meanwhile, Daddy is preoccupied with fixing the TV while Mama is unable to cope and unable to think. The last verse explains how everything seems to be getting worse, with the dirty dishes piling up in the sink, and Kelly reiterates the need to tighten up to prevent the family from falling apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Mama don't like your holey shoes
Mother is not pleased with your shoes that have holes in them, possibly indicating that you need to find a better job or earn more money to purchase new shoes.
Scrapping in the back yard - 4 Be 2
Engaging in rough play, possibly referring to a specific type of game known as 4 Be 2 played in the backyard.
Daddy's smokin' motor didn't make it up the hill
Father's car broke down while trying to climb a hill, indicating financial struggles as he may not be able to afford repairs.
Mama can't pay, she got one day, she got no money for the telephone bill
Mother is unable to pay the phone bill and has only one day to do so, indicating financial difficulties and lack of resources to cover basic expenses.
Tighten up, tighten up
Everything falls apart
The repetition of the phrase 'tighten up' emphasizes the need to remain strong and resilient during difficult times, as everything may fall apart otherwise.
Mama says to Papa now - Where ya been?
Mother asks Father where he has been, implying a possible lack of communication or trust between the parents.
Papa says I'm sorry mama, I got a full skin
Father apologizes for being late or not being present due to having a full schedule or being busy with work.
Mama get excited, she having an attack
Mama spins round, daddy hits the ground
Mother becomes agitated or overwhelmed, possibly due to the current situation or the lack of control, leading to Father being knocked down.
For too long now she been taking up the slack
Tighten up, tighten up
The phrase 'she been taking up the slack' implies that Mother has been carrying most of the burdens and responsibilities, highlighting the need for collective effort to manage the situation together.
Jimmy coming home now - see him on the run
Mama's going through the cupboards--looking for a can
Jimmy is coming home in a hurry, indicating a potential emergency or significant event, while Mother is looking for food in the cupboards, indicating a lack of resources or financial difficulties.
Daddy on a ladder, T.V. on the blink
Mama can't think, Daddy's feeling like a drink
Father is fixing the TV while standing on a ladder, and Mother is feeling overwhelmed and anxious, while Father is tempted to drink or escape from the situation.
And all the dirty dishes Lord are piling up the sink
The phrase 'dirty dishes piling up the sink' represents the buildup of daily tasks and chores that are not being addressed or completed due to the current situation.
Tighten up, tighten up
Everything falls apart
The repetition of the phrase 'tighten up' reiterates the need to remain strong and resilient during difficult times, as everything may fall apart otherwise.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL MAURICE KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind