By David Leser
In the late spring of 2008 I boarded a train in France for the famed Cinque Terre in Italy with my filmmaker friend Ian Darling. After a few minutes of desultory chat we pressed play on our respective iPods to begin properly taking in the magnificence of the Ligurian Sea.
A scene from Ian Darling’s 2012 documentary, Paul Kelly – Stories of Me.Credit: Ian Darling
“What are you listening to?” Ian asked eventually.
“Paul Kelly,” I said. “What about you?”
“Paul Kelly,” he replied.
Fancy that.
“What’s your favourite song?” he asked.
“Impossible to say,” I replied. “Too many.”
“Okay then,” he challenged, “give me your top 10. But you’ll need to justify why.”
Thus began a vigorous – and highly entertaining – debate on the merits and demerits of dozens of Kelly compositions. Ian offered up You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed, Careless, Meet Me in the Middle of the Air ... and Bradman.
“Bradman?” I exclaimed with mock horror. “You’ve got to be kidding. Lyrics way too clunky.”
I countered with a few of my own: They Thought I was Asleep, Cities of Texas, Beat of Your Heart ...
“Beat of Your Heart?” he retorted. “Not even close to a top 10.”
We continued trading, song for song, and by the time we’d reached our destination we’d decided to attempt a documentary on the man we both agreed was Australia’s most important – and beloved – songwriter.
In 2012, we realised our ambition with the release of Ian’s beautifully directed film, Paul Kelly – Stories of Me, a film which I spent two years on, together with renowned music journalist Toby Creswell, as executive producer.
On the set of Paul Kelly – Stories of Me.Credit: Ian Darling
The following year I edited a collection of essays on Paul Kelly (Paul Kelly: The Essays) which included one from Ian called Who is Paul Kelly? in which he recounted our song contest aboard that Italian train.
As the Kelly oeuvre has continued to expand, so, too, has our debate, and I think it fair to say that, on any given day, either of us could opt for any one of 30 or 40 Kelly songs to be included in our top 10.
But forced to choose – today – here are mine, and you will note that neither Bradman nor Beat of Your Heart are on the list!
How to Make Gravy
They Thought I was Asleep
Deeper Water
Careless
Cities of Texas
If I Could Start Today Again
When I First Met Your Ma
To Her Door
Dumb Things
Meet Me in the Middle of the Air
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