Paul Kelly Unveils Powerful New Single ‘The Body Keeps The Score’

Fresh from a phenomenal sold-out arena tour of Australia and New Zealand, Paul Kelly releases The Body Keeps The Score, the deeply affecting second single from his forthcoming album SEVENTY (released November 7).

The track follows the runaway success of Rita Wrote A Letter – Kelly’s long-awaited sequel to the beloved Australian classic How To Make Gravy – and arrives as the master storyteller is announced as headliner for Red Hot Summer Tour 2026.

The Body Keeps The Score finds Kelly at his most contemplative, transforming Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking investigation into trauma into a haunting musical meditation. The song explores how complex trauma can become buried in our bodies, surfacing unexpectedly to affect not only those who experienced it but those who love them.

“On a road trip, years ago, from Mullumbimby to Melbourne, I listened to the audiobook ‘The Body Keeps The Score’ by Bessel van der Kolk,” Kelly explains. “It’s an investigation into the complex effects of trauma, how it can become buried in our bodies. How it can surface unexpectedly and cause harm not only to the person who experienced the trauma but to those who love them. I carried the title with me ever since that drive until one day last year at Bill Miller’s place, playing around with a tune, the words started to come out.”

The track features acclaimed Australian musician and APRA Song of the Year 2018 winner Bill Miller, who co-wrote the song and provides vocal harmonies and e-bow, adding atmospheric depth to Kelly’s masterful storytelling.