# Sweet Guy

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"**Sweet Guy**" is a song by Australian rock group [Paul Kelly and the Messengers](/source/Paul_Kelly_(Australian_musician)) released in June 1989 as the lead single from the studio album, *[So Much Water So Close to Home](/source/So_Much_Water_So_Close_to_Home)*. The song was written by Kelly – his first from a woman's [point of view](/source/Point_of_view_(literature)). He co-produced the track with [Scott Litt](/source/Scott_Litt). The single was released in June 1989 on the [Mushroom Records](/source/Mushroom_Records) label.[1] It reached No. 53 on the Australian [ARIA](/source/ARIA_Charts) Singles Chart[2] and the Top 40 in [New Zealand](/source/RIANZ). The song was later [covered](/source/Cover_version) by [Renée Geyer](/source/Ren%C3%A9e_Geyer) on *Difficult Woman* (1994), [Adalita Srsen](/source/Adalita_Srsen) on *[Before Too Long](/source/Before_Too_Long:_Triple_J's_Tribute_to_Paul_Kelly)*.

## Background

Paul Kelly had formed Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls in 1985, named for [Lou Reed](/source/Lou_Reed)'s "[Walk on the Wild Side](/source/Walk_on_the_Wild_Side_(Lou_Reed_song))".[1][3][4] The line-up of the Coloured Girls was Michael Barclay on [drums](/source/Drum_kit) and [backing vocals](/source/Backing_vocalist), Peter Bull on [keyboards](/source/Keyboard_instrument), Steve Connolly on [lead guitar](/source/Lead_guitar) and [Jon Schofield](/source/Jon_Schofield) on [bass guitar](/source/Bass_guitar).[1][3] For international releases from 1987 they used the name Paul Kelly and the Messengers to avoid possible racist interpretations.[1][4] The group released *[Gossip](/source/Gossip_(Paul_Kelly_and_the_Coloured_Girls_album))* in 1986 on [Mushroom Records](/source/Mushroom_Records) in Australia and in 1987 on [A&M Records](/source/A%26M_Records) for international release.[3] A second album, *[Under the Sun](/source/Under_the_Sun_(Paul_Kelly_album))*, was issued in 1987 in Australia and in 1988 internationally.[3]

Their next album, *So Much Water So Close to Home* was released in August 1989 as by Paul Kelly and the Messengers in all markets,[3] it peaked at No. 10 on the [ARIA Albums Chart](/source/ARIA_Charts).[5] The entire album was recorded in the United States with [Scott Litt](/source/Scott_Litt), best known for his work with [R.E.M.](/source/R.E.M.), co-producing with Kelly.[3] Litt had re-mixed some of Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls' tracks from *Gossip* for its US release as by Paul Kelly and the Messengers.[1][3] *So Much Water So Close to Home* was released on Mushroom/White Records in Australia and A&M Records in the US and Europe.[3] "Sweet Guy" was the first single from the album, which reached No. 53 on the Australian [ARIA](/source/ARIA_Charts) Singles Chart[2] and in September 1989 it peaked in the Top 40 in [New Zealand](/source/RIANZ).

The video for "Sweet Guy" was directed by Claudia Castle, who had earlier directed Kelly's "[To Her Door](/source/To_Her_Door)", which won 'Best Video' at the [ARIA Music Awards of 1988](/source/ARIA_Music_Awards_of_1988).[6][7][8] The video is shot in black and white and switches between Kelly and his band, and a couple fighting and making up. Kelly later wrote that he was disappointed in the video, "this one looked like an ad for coffee or sheets... [Castle] had worked with us on a couple of videos previously ... that had turned out really well. We'd talked this one through and made a plan ... but when I saw the rough cut my heart sank. And there wasn't much I could do to change it".[6]

In 2004 Paul Kelly and the Boon Companions performed the track for the [DVD](/source/DVD), *Ways & Means*, in the section subtitled *Live in Boston*.[9][10] Kelly and his nephew [Dan Kelly](/source/Dan_Kelly_(musician)) recorded the song as part of Kelly's A – Z Tours from 2004 to 2010, it was issued on the 8× CD album, *[The A – Z Recordings](/source/The_A_%E2%80%93_Z_Recordings)* (2010).[6] It was later [covered](/source/Cover_version) by [Renée Geyer](/source/Ren%C3%A9e_Geyer) on *Difficult Woman* (1994) – Kelly produced her album, also wrote the title song, "[Careless](/source/Careless_(song))" and "Foggy Highway".[11][12] [Adalita Srsen](/source/Adalita_Srsen) (ex-[Magic Dirt](/source/Magic_Dirt)) sang both "Sweet Guy" and "Everything's Turning to White" for the Kelly tribute show and related album, *[Before Too Long](/source/Before_Too_Long:_Triple_J's_Tribute_to_Paul_Kelly)* (2010).[13] Peter Bull's daughter, [Vika Bull](/source/Vika_and_Linda) performed "Sweet Guy" on the RocKwiz National Tour which was recorded on a DVD and CD of the same name (2010).[14]

## Composition

"Sweet Guy" is a song with a length of three minutes and forty seconds.[15] The song is set in the key of [C major](/source/C_major) and has a medium fast [tempo](/source/Tempo) – 128 beats per minute – with a piano range of C2–G5 and a vocal range of E4–G5.[16] Kelly is credited with both lyrics and music.[17] The lyrics are written in the [first person perspective](/source/First_person_perspective), with the [narrator](/source/Narrator), a female, reflecting on the violent nature of her relationship and broods over the [Jekyll and Hyde](/source/Jekyll_and_Hyde) transformation of her partner from being loving and attentive into a violent man.[18] Typical of the '[battered woman syndrome](/source/Battered_woman_syndrome)', she adopts a victim's view claiming that it is her problem, and is happy to forgive the man after he has bashed her. According to *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone_Australia)'*s [Clinton Walker](/source/Clinton_Walker) the song is about [Ian Rilen](/source/Ian_Rilen), where "his friend Paul Kelly sang in a song that was always understood to be about him, 'What makes such a sweet guy turn so mean?' He could be his own worst enemy".[19] Rilen ([Rose Tattoo](/source/Rose_Tattoo), [X](/source/X_(Australian_band))) had supplied bass guitar for Kelly's first solo album, *[Post](/source/Post_(Paul_Kelly_album))* (1985), and was married to Stephanie Falcolner ([Sardine v](/source/Sardine_v)) at the time.[1][19][20]

This was the first song that Kelly had penned from a woman's [point of view](/source/Point_of_view_(literature)) – he was initially hesitant to sing it himself fearing that it would not sound "honest".[6] Kelly had tried to persuade female singers to adopt it but his band encouraged him to keep it for themselves, "'Don't give *this* one away', said [Schofield], 'we can do it.' 'Yeah,' chipped in [Connolly] '...What's to stop you cross-singing?'".[6] Paul Kelly and the Messengers first performed it at a Leagues Club on the central New South Wales coast – after several gigs Kelly felt perfectly normal singing it.[6] Kelly liked Barclay's backing vocals as they "sounded sweet" and Connolly "had written a killer guitar riff to kick things off".[6] Kelly enjoyed cross-singing and wrote both "Everything's Turning to White" and "South of Germany" from a woman's perspective – these tracks also appear on *So Much Water So Close to Home*.[6]

The B-side, "Ghost Town" was also written by Kelly,[21] but did not appear on an album until Kelly's 1994 release, *[Hidden Things](/source/Hidden_Things)*, which also included a slower version of "Sweet Guy", re-titled as "Sweet Guy Waltz".[22]

## Reception

[Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)'s Mike DeGagne liked "Everything's Turning to White" and "Sweet Guy" from *So Much Water So Close to Home*, he calls the latter "a disturbing piece" and observed that "[b]oth songs are true to Kelly's intriguing knack of fiction telling, making some of the other tunes seem a little weak in the content department".[18] While for his review of *Hidden Things*, DeGagne wrote that "the slower version ... 'Sweet Guy Waltz' ... presents an even eerier feel than the quicker version".[22]

## Track listing

1. "Sweet Guy" (Paul Kelly)[17] – 3:40
1. "Ghost Town" (Kelly)[21] – 2:51

## Personnel

**Paul Kelly and the Messengers**

- Michael Barclay – [drums](/source/Drum_kit), [backing vocals](/source/Backing_vocalist)
- Peter Bull – [keyboards](/source/Keyboard_instrument)
- Steve Connolly – [lead guitar](/source/Lead_guitar)
- [Paul Kelly](/source/Paul_Kelly_(Australian_musician)) – guitar, vocals, [harmonica](/source/Harmonica)
- [Jon Schofield](/source/Jon_Schofield) – [bass guitar](/source/Bass_guitar)

**Additional musicians – "Sweet Guy"**

- Steve Berlin – [saxophone](/source/Saxophone) ([baritone](/source/Baritone_saxophone))

**Recording details – "Sweet Guy"**

- Producer – [Scott Litt](/source/Scott_Litt), Paul Kelly
- Engineer–– Scott Litt - Assistant–– [Clif Norrell](/source/Clif_Norrell), Jim Dineen
- Studio – [Ocean Way Studios](/source/Ocean_Way_Studios), [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles) - Mastered – Precision Lacquer - Mixed – The Grey Room

**Recording Details – "Ghost Town"**

- Producer – Paul Kelly
- Mixing Engineer – Tim Ryan
- Recording Engineer – Ross Muir
- Studio – C.A.A.M.A. Music, [Alice Springs](/source/Alice_Springs)
- Mixed – Trackdown Studios, Sydney

## Charts

Chart performance for "Sweet Guy" Chart (1989) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[2] 53

## References

**General**

- McFarlane, Ian (1999). ["Whammo Homepage"](https://web.archive.org/web/20040405231007/http://www.whammo.com.au/index.asp). *[Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Australian_Rock_and_Pop)*. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from [the original](http://www.whammo.com.au/index.asp) on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 9 March 2010. Note: Archived [online] copy has limited functionality.
- Nimmervoll, Ed. "Paul Kelly > Biography". [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic). [Rovi Corporation](/source/Rovi_Corporation). Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry (2002 [1987]). *The Who's Who of Australian Rock*. [Noble Park](/source/Noble_Park,_Victoria), Vic: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1.[23] Note: [online] version established at [White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd](https://web.archive.org/web/20120229232852/http://www.whiteroom.com.au/howlspace/whoswho/aboutww.htm) in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.

**Specific**

1. McFarlane, ['Paul Kelly'](https://web.archive.org/web/20040930231503/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=978) 30 September 2004 at the Wayback Machine entry. Archived from [the original](http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=978) on 30 September 2004. Retrieved 21 February 2012.

1. ["25 Years Ago This Week: July 30, 1989"](http://chartbeat.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/25-years-ago-this-week-july-30-1989.html). chartbeat.blogspot.com.au. Retrieved 17 September 2015.

1. Holmgren, Magnus. ["Paul Kelly"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131022052859/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/k/kellypaul.html). [Australian Rock Database](/source/Australian_Rock_Database). Passagen.se (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from [the original](http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/k/kellypaul.html) on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.

1. Jenkins, Jeff & Meldrum, Ian (2007). "31: Paul Kelly – 'From Little Things Big Things Grow'". *Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia*. Melbourne, Vic: Wilkinson Publishing. pp. 213–219. ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1.

1. Hung, Steffen. ["Discography Paul Kelly"](http://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Paul+Kelly). Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 February 2012.

1. Kelly, Paul (21 September 2010). *How to Make Gravy*. [Camberwell, Vic](/source/Camberwell,_Victoria): [Penguin Books (Australia)](/source/Penguin_Books). pp. 427–31. ISBN 978-1-926428-22-2.

1. ["ARIA Awards: History: Winners by Year: 1988"](http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/year/1988). [Australian Recording Industry Association](/source/Australian_Recording_Industry_Association) (ARIA). Retrieved 21 February 2012.

1. Garcia, Alex S. (2008). ["Paul Kelly - artist videography"](http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Kelly&first=Paul). mvdbase.com. Retrieved 21 February 2012.

1. ["Paul Kelly and the Boon Companions"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-ma-an42464907). [Music Australia](/source/Music_Australia_(online_resource)). [National Library of Australia](/source/National_Library_of_Australia). 13 December 2007. Retrieved 24 February 2012.

1. "*Ways and Meads* (DVD) – Paul Kelly". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 24 February 2012.

1. ["*Difficult Woman* / Renee Geyer; produced by Paul Kelly; engineered and mixed by Terry Becker"](http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/21368697). Trove. [National Library of Australia](/source/National_Library_of_Australia). Retrieved 23 February 2012.

1. Blanda, Eva (2007). ["Paul Kelly – Discography – Part III – Everything Else"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110706101246/http://www.amws.com.au/pk/discography/pk-d-III.html). Other People's Houses (Eva Blanda). Archived from [the original](http://www.amws.com.au/pk/discography/pk-d-III.html) on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2012.

1. ["*Before Too Long*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120224013457/http://shop.abc.net.au/products/before-too-long). [Australian Broadcasting Corporation](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Corporation) (ABC). Archived from [the original](http://shop.abc.net.au/products/before-too-long) on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2012.

1. ["*RocKwiz* National Tour 2010 (DVD+CD)"](http://www.sbs.com.au/shop/product/category/DVDs/5641/RocKwiz-National-Tour-2010-DVD-CD). [SBS Shop](/source/SBS_One). Retrieved 23 February 2012.

1. Blanda, Eva (2007). ["Paul Kelly – Discography – Part IIb – The Recordings of Paul Kelly with Bands"](http://www.amws.com.au/pk/discography/pk-d-IIb.html). Other People's Houses (Eva Blanda). Retrieved 24 February 2012.

1. ["Paul Kelly – 'Sweet Guy' Sheet Music"](http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtdFPE.asp?ppn=MN0040274&). Musicnotes, Inc. (Kathleen Marsh). Retrieved 24 February 2012.

1. ["'Sweet Guy' at APRA search engine"](http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Sweet%20Guy). [Australasian Performing Right Association](/source/Australasian_Performing_Right_Association) (APRA). Retrieved 21 February 2012.

1. DeGane, Mike. ["*So Much Water, So Close to Home* – Paul Kelly & the Messengers"](http://www.allmusic.com/album/r10783). Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 21 February 2012.

1. Walker, Clinton. ["Ian Rilen"](http://www.ianrilen.com/the-rolling-stone-story-by-clinton-walker). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone_Australia)*. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

1. McFarlane [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20040227111217/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=796) 27 February 2004 at the Wayback Machine. Archived from [the original](http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=796) on 27 February 2004. Retrieved 17 March 2012.

1. ["'Ghost Town' at APRA search engine"](http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Ghost%20Town). Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 22 February 2012.

1. DeGagne, Mike. ["*Hidden Things* - Paul Kelly & the Messengers"](http://www.allmusic.com/album/hidden-things-r341375/review). Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 22 February 2012.

1. ["Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry"](http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2090055). *catalogue*. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 February 2012.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sweet Guy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Guy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Guy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.