Dumb Things

Paul Kelly

About Dumb Things

"Dumb Things" or "I've Done all the Dumb Things" is a song by Australian rock group Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls, released as the fourth single from their second album, Under the Sun. It was released by Mushroom Records imprint White Label Records in January 1989 and reached No. 36 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Singles Chart. In the US, it was released under the band name, Paul Kelly and the Messengers, which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. A music video, directed by Larry Williams, was provided for the single – a still from the clip is used as the single's cover. The song was included on the soundtrack for the 1988 Yahoo Serious film Young Einstein and the single was re-released with a different cover, although with the same catalogue number. The song was also in the 1989 film, Look Who's Talking, which starred John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. It was also released as a double single, with the second single containing "Rock 'n' Roll Soul" written by the Coloured Girls member, Jon Schofield. Its flip-side is a cover version of the Australian Crawl song, "Reckless", again with same catalogue number as the original single. Kelly's cover of "Reckless" also appeared on the 1990 tribute album, Used and Recovered. "Dumb Things" was covered by alternative rockers Lash on the Paul Kelly tribute album, Women at the Well (2002), and by Paul Dempsey (from Something for Kate) on Before Too Long – A Tribute to Paul Kelly (2010). In 2012 the song was used as the opening theme for the Australian reality TV series The Shire. Australian singer Jessica Mauboy covered the song for The Secret Daughter in 2017. 


Year:
2019
3:15
25 
#3

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Welcome, strangers, to the show
I'm the one who should be lying low
Saw the knives out, turned my back
Heard the train coming, stayed out on the track
In the middle, in the middle, in the middle of a dream
I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings
I've done all the dumb things 

Caught the fever, heard the tune
Thought I loved her, hung my heart on the moon
Started howling, made no sense
Thought my friends would rush to my defence
In the middle, in the middle, in the middle of a dream
I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings
I've done all the dumb things 

And I get all your good advice
It doesn't stop me from going through these things twice
I see the knives out, I turn my back
I hear the train coming, I stay right on that track
In the middle, in the middle, in the middle of a dream

I lost my shirt, I pawned my rings
I've done all the dumb things
I melted wax to fix my wings
I've done all the dumb things

I threw my hat into the ring
I've done all the dumb things
I thought that I just had to sing
I've done all the dumb things

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Paul Kelly

Paul Maurice Kelly (born 13 January 1955) is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor Ratbaggy and Stardust Five. Kelly's music style has ranged from bluegrass to studio-oriented dub reggae, but his core output straddles folk, rock, and country. His lyrics capture the vastness of the culture and landscape of Australia by chronicling life about him for over 30 years. David Fricke from Rolling Stone calls Kelly "one of the finest songwriters I have ever heard, Australian or otherwise." Kelly has said, "Song writing is mysterious to … more »

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Written by: PAUL MAURICE KELLY

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Genre
"Dumb Things" is classified under the alternative country and folk rock genres.
Release Date
It was released in 1988 as a single and as a part of the album "Under the Sun."
Success
The song became one of Kelly's most successful, reaching No. 36 on the Australian ARIA Single Chart.
Movie Appearance
Also, it gained international recognition because it was included in the 1988 Yahoo Serious movie, "Young Einstein."
Awards
The song won the Australian Record of the Year at the 1989 ARIA Awards.
Re-recordings
The song is so popular that Paul Kelly has re-recorded it multiple times, including in 1998 for the "Songs from the South" compilation album.
Cover Versions
There have been numerous cover versions of "Dumb Things," including those by Australian rock bands Jebediah and Faker.
Kelly’s View
Paul Kelly has referred to "Dumb Things" as one of his favorite songs to perform.
Music Video
A notable aspect of the "Dumb Things" song is its music video, which features a variety of comic and eccentric characters depicted through Playmobil figures.
Lyrics
The lyrics of "Dumb Things" reflect common human errors and blunders, making the song relatable to every listener.
Live Performances
Despite its age, the song remains a staple of Kelly's live performances.
Song Interpretation
Paul Kelly has mentioned that the song is about the "..."human tendency to mess things up even when we know better."

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