It isn’t every day that we witness a sequel to an iconic Australian song. Nearly 30 years after Paul Kelly first introduced Joe, Dan, and Rita into the national consciousness with “How To Make Gravy,” the legendary musician has penned a follow-up to his timeless Christmas anthem. Titled “Rita Wrote A Letter,” the new track continues the story as a “black comedy,” according to Kelly.
Originally released in 1996, “How To Make Gravy” has achieved cult status in Australia. The song was recently voted the ninth-best Australian song of all time and has inspired a star-studded movie, a music festival, and countless cover versions. It has even enshrined December 21 as “Gravy Day” in the national cultural conscience. Not bad for a song that Kelly once remarked “doesn’t have a chorus and [is] set in prison.”
The Story Continues: A Black Comedy
The lyrics of “How To Make Gravy” are a letter from the newly incarcerated Joe, addressed to his brother Dan as their family prepares to celebrate Christmas without him. In the sequel, “Rita Wrote A Letter,” we learn that Joe’s worst fears have come true—Dan has made a move on his wife, Rita.
“Rita wrote a letter and this is what she had to say,” Kelly sings. “Joe I’m really sorry, but me and Dan, our love is here to stay. With the kids it’s getting better. And now a little baby’s on the way.”
Musically, the song features a jaunty vintage piano line, originally composed by Kelly’s nephew, Dan Kelly. “He had a piece of music that he’d written on piano, sort of New Orleans-style piano, and he said, ‘Put some words to that,'” Kelly explained in an interview with Double J’s Henry Wagons.
Joe’s Final Chapter
This week, a funeral notice appeared in a Melbourne newspaper announcing Joe’s death “by sudden misadventure,” noting his love of reggae, cooking, and quoting Kelly’s signature lyric: “Who’s gonna make the gravy?” This question lingers over “Rita Wrote A Letter,” which confirms Joe’s untimely passing. Yet, through the power of music, Joe returns, much to his own surprise.
“I really don’t know how I’m talking,” the song begins. “Six feet down and under the clay. The laws of nature forbid it / But I was never good with rules anyway.”
Rather than dwell on its dark subject matter, “Rita Wrote A Letter” plays Joe’s demise with impish humor, complemented by the upbeat music. “I like songs where the music and the lyrics are a little bit at odds or cut against each other,” Kelly explains. “Sad or dark lyrics but the music gives you another feeling … it gives you that balance.”
From Song to Screen
In the music video for “Rita Wrote A Letter,” an older Rita is portrayed by Australian actor Justine Clarke, while Kelly embodies Joe, haunting her vintage St Kilda home. The video, directed by Australian filmmaker Imogen McCluskey, adds a visual dimension to the song’s narrative.
“Joe, I gave you good chances / But half a year turned into two / You could never hold your temper / And you always made it all about you,” Rita sings, expressing her decision to leave.
In true Kelly fashion, he balances the sweet with the sour, concluding the song with Joe wishing Rita well but all but pledging to haunt his treacherous brother. “But Dan, I don’t forgive you,” goes the final line before lyrical callbacks to “How To Make Gravy.”
Paul Kelly’s New Album and Tour
“Rita Wrote A Letter” heralds the arrival of a new album, “Seventy,” which will be released on November 7. The album follows Kelly’s 70th birthday earlier this year and is described as his “most varied album yet.”
The album is bookended with “one long song that we cut in half called ‘Tell Us A Story,'” Kelly explains. “That sets up one of the themes of the record: gathering together to tell stories.”
Kelly’s new album draws from varied literary influences, including “The Lord of the Rings,” the death of Cicero, Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales,” and Giovanni Boccaccio’s “The Decameron.” There are also personal tracks, such as one written for Kelly’s granddaughter, “Happy Birthday, Ada Mae,” and “Sailing To Byzantium,” which sets the William Butler Yeats poem to music.
Kelly and his seasoned bandmates are gearing up for a major tour across Australia and New Zealand. Kicking off in Perth later this month, the tour will include stops in Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, and Melbourne, before heading to Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland.
Supporting Kelly at all seven Australian dates will be Americana icon Lucinda Williams and homegrown ARIA-winning country-folk artist Fanny Lumsden. This tour offers fans the first chance to hear Kelly’s new material, alongside classics from his extensive songbook.
As the anticipation builds, fans are eager to see how Kelly’s new work will resonate. All together now … “Give my love to Angus!”
