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To Her Door Lyrics
They got married early, never had no money
Then when he got laid off they really hit the skids
He started up his drinking, then they started fighting
He took it pretty badly, she took both the kids
She said: "I'm not standing by, to watch you slowly die
So watch me walking, out the door"
She said, "Shove it, Jack, I'm walking out the fucking door"
She went to her brother's, got a little bar work
He went to the Buttery, stayed about a year
Then he wrote a letter, said I want to see you
She thought he sounded better, she sent him up the fare
He was riding through the cane in the pouring rain
On Olympic to her door
He came in on a Sunday, every muscle aching
Walking in slow motion like he'd just been hit
Did they have a future? Would he know his children?
Could he make a picture and get them all to fit?
He was shaking in his seat riding through the streets
In a silvertop to her door
Then when he got laid off they really hit the skids
He started up his drinking, then they started fighting
He took it pretty badly, she took both the kids
She said: "I'm not standing by, to watch you slowly die
So watch me walking, out the door"
She said, "Shove it, Jack, I'm walking out the fucking door"
He went to the Buttery, stayed about a year
Then he wrote a letter, said I want to see you
She thought he sounded better, she sent him up the fare
He was riding through the cane in the pouring rain
On Olympic to her door
Walking in slow motion like he'd just been hit
Did they have a future? Would he know his children?
Could he make a picture and get them all to fit?
He was shaking in his seat riding through the streets
In a silvertop to her door
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
I heard that the Buttery was an alcoholic rehab centre on the north coast of NSW. It sums up the life of working class australia.
An awesome song. So much left unsaid, but so full of hope.
Greatest song. It shows even though alcohol did get the better of him earlier he still wanted to sort things out and make it to her door.
i love whne paul does live versions and changes the words around. sometimes he says. "She went to her brother's, got a little bar work He went to the North Coast, stayed about a year..." i think it still implies that he went away to get himself fixed up before trying to return to his wife though..
There is a variant to the lyrics (or the above are in error): "She said, "Shove it, Jack, I'm walking out your fucking door""
WHAT THERE ARE ONLY 5 COMMENTS FOR THIS SONG?! this song is sooo typically aussie and paul kelly is a genius and yes, it is "shove it jack i'm walking out your fucking door" love this song
I just gained new respet for this song when my dad told me that he used to drive a silvertop and one day he picked up Paul Kelly :)
http://www.buttery.org.au/ from their home page:
"The Buttery is a not-for-profit, charitable organisation located near Bangalow in Northern NSW, Australia. The Buttery specialises in the treatment of alcohol and other drug misuse and problem gambling. It is guided by the philosophy - Addiction is not a consequence of choice: recovery is."
Little is actually revealed about these two characters in the song hence why i think Kelly changes lyrics in live shows, so that when you see it in the flesh, more is revealed.
@stellax2 the song is actually about my great aunt and her ex-husband who were neighbours with Paul, I feel lucky to know who the songs about but it’s cool that like you said, he doesn’t reveal much about them in the song.
@stellax2 the song is actually about my great aunt and her ex-husband who were neighbours with Paul, I feel lucky to know who the songs about but it’s cool that like you said, he doesn’t reveal much about them in the song.
@stellax2 cool would you like to be texting friends? I have a WhatsApp number it is +1 (706) 768‑7613 My name is Alisha & when u text me let me know Paul kelly wrote the song To Her Door about your great aunt & her ex husband
@stellax2 cool would you like to be texting friends? I have a WhatsApp number it is +1 (706) 768‑7613 My name is Alisha & when u text me let me know Paul kelly wrote the song To Her Door about your great aunt & her ex husband
Some time in the early 2000s I was teaching about alcohol and other drugs to an evening class of aspiring mature age community workers at a TAFE college in Croydon (Melbourne). I was referencing lyrics from a whole range of songs that alluded to drug and alcohol use. Two women in the front row were nudging each other when I talked about this song and the reference to the Buttery. After the class they stayed behind and told me that the song was about a mate of Paul Kelly. 'Her', as in "her door", was one of the women and Paul Kelly's mate was her ex. I don't remember 'her' name or what she looked like, but whenever I hear this song, so typical of Kelly's storytelling genius, I think of the evening I met 'her' by some weird coincidence.
@leigh11256 I’m several years late, but the woman Paul Kelly is singing about is my great aunt and her ex-husband; they were neighbours with Paul.
@leigh11256 I’m several years late, but the woman Paul Kelly is singing about is my great aunt and her ex-husband; they were neighbours with Paul.