His most successful song was The Real Thing, written by Johnny Young, and produced by Ian Meldrum. It was the biggest selling Australian Single of 1969, and was released when Morris was 20 years old. The song was released in two halves on a small label in the United States of America and received limited international success as a result, although it did reach #1 in large cities such as Chicago.
More recently, his music has appeared on the soundtrack to The Dish, and has appeared on the ABC show Long Way to the Top.
O Helly
Russell Morris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I’m reaching out to find the sun
I don’t know where it is but I’ll go
Away from here I’m gonna pass
A town That’ll be without this ass
Till I wont see you so long
I’m even leaven Helly’s grave
We lay in pupa’s wheat to make our love
But left on no apologies
The child that died and so did she
Until I see you, so long.
O Helly let me stay with you
O Helly let me lay with you
As I can’t find nothing else to do
Oh I love you
6 months and even seven days
She left me not but still remains
Within these wall she’s real me now
I live by day and die by night
Some night I need you by
Until I see you, so long.
O Helly let me stay with you
O Helly let me lay with you
As I can’t find nothing else to do
O Helly let me stay with you
O Helly let me lay with you
As I can’t find nothing else to do
Oh I love you
The lyrics of Russell Morris’s song O Helly paint a picture of a man who is lost and searching for the sun, with no clear destination in mind. He is leaving his current town, one that will be better off without him, to escape his problems. He reminisces about Helly, who he loved and who sang to him on a summer’s day. They made love in a field of wheat, but their child died along with Helly. The singer now lives in a place where Helly’s memory surrounds him, and he lies awake at night wishing she were there with him.
The song has a melancholic and dreamy tone, with a simple acoustic guitar and pedal steel providing the background for Morris’s vocals. The lyrics appear to be autobiographical, with Morris himself explaining that the song is about a former girlfriend who died young.
Overall, the lyrics of O Helly are about loss and the overwhelming feeling that can come from being unable to escape one’s past. The singer of the song is searching for something, but it is unclear what that something is. The haunting refrain of “O Helly let me stay with you” emphasizes the sense of loss and longing that permeates the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Catch point number 51
I am at a point in my life where I need a change and I'm ready to start a new journey.
I’m reaching out to find the sun
I am searching for happiness and positivity in my life.
I don’t know where it is but I’ll go
I am determined to find happiness and will go wherever I need to achieve it.
Away from here I’m gonna pass
I am leaving behind the negative aspects of my life and moving towards a brighter future.
A town That’ll be without this ass
I am leaving my old town behind and not looking back.
Till I wont see you so long
I am leaving people behind in pursuit of my own happiness, and I won't be seeing them for a while.
I’m even leaven Helly’s grave
I am leaving behind my past and moving on from the person who is buried in Helly's grave.
She sang to me on summer’s day
The person buried in Helly's grave once brought me happiness and I remember the good times we shared.
We lay in pupa’s wheat to make our love
We once shared a romantic moment in a wheat field.
But left on no apologies
Our relationship ended abruptly and without closure.
The child that died and so did she
The person buried in Helly's grave lost a child and eventually died as well.
Until I see you, so long.
I won't be forgetting the person buried in Helly's grave, but I'm ready to move on with my life.
O Helly let me stay with you
I am longing for the comfort and love of the person buried in Helly's grave.
O Helly let me lay with you
I am yearning to be physically close to the person buried in Helly's grave.
As I can’t find nothing else to do
I am at a loss and don't know where else to turn for comfort and love.
6 months and even seven days
I have been without the person buried in Helly's grave for a period of time - six months and seven days to be exact.
She left me not but still remains
Although the person buried in Helly's grave is no longer with me, they still have a presence in my life.
Within these wall she’s real me now
The memories of the person buried in Helly's grave are still very vivid and present in my mind.
I live by day and die by night
I struggle with the pain of loneliness and longing for the person buried in Helly's grave every single day.
Some night I need you by
There are times when I am at my lowest and I wish the person buried in Helly's grave was still here to comfort me.
Oh I love you
I still carry strong feelings of love for the person buried in Helly's grave.
Contributed by Arianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bjashton
Great artist - love listening to him; thankyou.
@diamondrose123
Love this song! Thank you for uploading this:)
@illuminate5
angels voice!