Paul Kelly discusses, of all things, seasonal fashion in my favourite tune of his.

Going through the usual suspects of my musical favourites isn’t that difficult.
Harder, nigh impossible, task is if you ask me to find a favourite song from just about any of them.

Wilco, Bruce, The You Am I’s, Triffids – I’ll give you half-a-dozen tunes from each, but probably no one standout.
Exception proving rule - particularly when the temperature hits single figures and the wind hits doubles – Mr Kelly’s ode to op-shop bargaining and tactile memory.
It’s something in the bittersweet remembrances and the little details he conjures. And probably that I’ve just shrugged off my equivalent item of outerwear, which has its own slightly labyrinthine back story – which might be another reason the song resonates.
Anyway, related anecdote: There was a FCUK factory shop near where then-girlfriend and I lived. I tended to listlessly look through the men’s racks while she more enthusiastically investigated the women’s clothing section. But this day I found the three-quarter length black pea-jacket style overcoat. Warm. Black. Stylish. Actually fitted well. Just my size, just like PK says in the song. Partner enthused: “You’ve got to have that!”. “Yeah, but not for 169.95…”. And that was on special. She even wanted to pay. Still just couldn’t justify or accept. We shrugged, and left.
A few months later, same factory outlet. Surprisingly, coat still there. “Now you really have to…”, she pressed, particularly noting it was now marked down further to $109.95. Still somehow couldn’t quite justify.
This pattern actually repeated a couple more times, as the tag was again texta’ed down via 89.95 to 59.95. Nearly got me that day. But no.
We were probably heading into the next winter when we next strolled through Birkenhead Point. We darkly joked how it’d have to be gone by now. But there it was. $39.95. On a “50% off all items” day. I recall she actually wordlessly grabbed it out of my hands and went to the check out.
Closing on 20 years on, she’s gone - but my still stylish, still fits, $18.97 winter coat is slung over this chair after taking me to the Springsteen tribute show last night.
Memories, and/or a timelessly tailored woollen jacket can keep you warm. Sort of.

Coat, Winter.