Paul Kelly Returns With Poignant New Single On The Persistence Of Memory With "The Body Keeps The Score"

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Photo credit: Joe Brennan

 

 

Paul Kelly – Australia’s “Godfather of Songwriting” with a four decade career, spanning thirty albums – has shared “The Body Keeps The Score,” the stirring second single from his forthcoming album Seventy (out November 7 via Cooking Vinyl). 

“The Body Keeps The Score” finds Kelly at his most contemplative, as he transforms Dutch-American psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking exploration of complex trauma into a meditation on memory, pain, and resilience in the body. The track was co-written with acclaimed musician and 2018 APRA Song of the Year winner Bill Miller, who is also featured on vocal harmonies and e-bow. Kelly once again demonstrates his unparalleled ability to transform the most complex human experiences into songs that resonate across generations.

"On a road trip, years ago I listened to the audiobook 'The Body Keeps The Score' by Bessel van der Kolk," Kelly explains. "It's an investigation into the complex effects of trauma, how it can become buried in our bodies. How it can surface unexpectedly and cause harm not only to the person who experienced the trauma but to those who love them. I carried the title with me ever since that drive until one day last year at Bill Miller's place, playing around with a tune, the words started to come out."

Watch / listen to “The Body Keeps The Score” here: https://paulkelly.lnk.to/thebodykeepsscorevideo 

Pre-order ‘Seventy’ here: https://paulk.lnk.to/SeventyPR 

Last month, Kelly shared “Rita Wrote A Letter” - his long-awaited sequel to the beloved Australian classic 'How To Make Gravy' - a song so iconic in the country it has inspired an unofficial national holiday, “Gravy Day” (December 21). 

Long hailed as one of Australia’s greatest songwriters, Paul Kelly’s forthcoming album Seventy showcases an artist still at the peak of his powers, drawing from sources as varied as W.B. Yeats, Lord of the Rings and Cicero while maintaining the intimate, deeply human touch that has made him the chronicler of modern life. From the scent of apples on a breeze to the dread of a knock at the door, Kelly’s songs feel intimate and mythic all at once. As the Associated Press has put it, Kelly is an "icon [Australia] seems to be keeping for its own." The album cover nods to Jon Lewis’s iconic 1988 portrait of Kelly - a visual echo that bridges nearly four decades of artistry and reflects the album's themes of taking stock and celebrating continuity.

Fresh off a sold-out arena tour that reinforced his position as Australia's unofficial poet laureate, Kelly will continue to perform headline shows throughout 2026. For more information please visit https://paulkelly.com.au/ 

 

Seventy Tracklist 

1. Tell Us A Story (Part A)

2. Don't Give Up On Me (feat. Meg Washington)

3. Rita Wrote A Letter

4. The Body Keeps The Score

5. I Keep On Coming Back For More

6. Take It Handy

7. Happy Birthday, Ada Mae

8. The Magpies

9. Made For Me (feat. Rebecca Barnard)

10. Sailing To Byzantium

11. My Body Felt No Pain

12. I'm Not Afraid Of The Dark

13. Tell Us A Story (Part B)

 

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For more information please contact paulkelly@shorefire.com