Gravy, re-heated: Paul Kelly stirs the pot with song sequel

When Paul Kelly took out a death notice for 'Joe' in The Age newspaper this week, Australian music fans knew something special was brewing.

The tongue-in-cheek obituary for the beloved protagonist of How To Make Gravy wasn't just clever marketing – it was the final piece of a puzzle nearly three decades in the making.

Today, Kelly unveiled Rita Wrote a Letter, the long-awaited sequel to his 1996 Christmas classic, and it's everything fans hoped for and nothing they expected.

'You could say the song took a dark turn but to my mind it's a black comedy. A ghost story. You hear Rita's voice loud and clear, but Joe talks even more,' Kelly said.

A cultural phenomenon three decades strong

How To Make Gravy (1996) recently claimed the ninth spot in Triple J's historic 2025 Hottest 100 of Australian Songs – a testament to its enduring power nearly 30 years after release.

The song has transcended its origins as a charity album contribution to become what many consider Australia's defining Christmas story, with December 21st unofficially known as 'Gravy Day' among devoted fans.

The original song's journey from charity album track to national treasure mirrors Kelly's own evolution as what journalist Andrew Denton described as 'the poet laureate' of Australia: 'His songs are like postcards – little snapshots of the countryside with our experiences, dreams, hopes and problems scrawled in the lyrics.'

Kelly had been 'mulling over the idea of a sequel to How to Make Gravy from Rita's point of view for quite some time.' 'About five years ago I wrote down the words, "Rita wrote a letter," and thought, "There's my title"'.

After 'scratching around fruitlessly' for several years, inspiration struck when his nephew Dan Kelly sent him a piano recording with a rough melody. That became the foundation–a 50s rhythm and blues piano line with hints of the original song's melody and familiar guitar flourishes.

Where the original song was hopeful – Joe believing he'd be home by July – the sequel reveals a harsher reality.

Upon release from jail, Joe works as a dish pig and lives in a relative's spare room. Though he takes some pleasure in honest work, he admits, 'The day I walked out of prison / I knew that I was still in stir…'

The story ends with a fatal overdose: 'One day I went to see an old friend / And I brought a little package home / For old times' sake sweet oblivion / But some things you shouldn't do alone'. Joe's voice, speaking from beyond, remains protective, remorseful, and deeply human.

Rita Wrote a Letter is the lead single from Kelly's 30th album Seventy, due November 7. The album explores themes of reflection and continuity, with curated storytelling that Kelly describes as 'deeply human' and rooted in our instinct to tell stories.

Kelly is set for his biggest-ever Australian and New Zealand tour, with 10 arena dates across Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne, Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland.

He’ll be joined by his live band: Peter Luscombe, Bill McDonald, Dan Kelly, Cameron Bruce, Jess Hitchcock, and Ash Naylor.

Special guest Lucinda Williams, three-time GRAMMY winner, will open all Australian shows.

At 70, Kelly shows no signs of slowing down. Seventy may be his most personal work yet. The first words are 'Tell us a story.' The last words are 'Put another big log on the fire.' It’s pure Kelly – love, loss, wit, poetry, and truths both tall and true.

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What do you think of Paul Kelly's long-awaited sequel? Does Rita Wrote a Letter live up to the legacy of How To Make Gravy? Share your thoughts about this bittersweet conclusion to Joe's story.