“The more I know her, the less I do.” It’s one of those tightly worded aphorisms worthy of Oscar Wilde, but it comes from Paul Kelly, one of Australia’s most beloved singer-songwriters. It’s about the mystery at the centre of love, but it also captures something about the man himself: we think we know Paul Kelly, have in some way always known him, and yet he constantly surprises us.
As we amble from his St Kilda home down to the Port Phillip Bay foreshore on a day that threatens to turn blistery at any moment, Kelly talks about mystery and surprise. His short-haired border collie, Queenie, joins us, scurrying ahead and then turning back to look at us like an impatient schoolkid. Kelly, wrapped in a well-worn corduroy jacket, bends down and clicks his fingers in a vain attempt to summon her.
