Don't Try To Explain
Keb' Mo' Lyrics


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Don’t, try to explain
My hearts already broken
And I’m feelin the pain
The promise that you could not keep
Though it’s easy to see
You’re tired of me

Don’t, try to explain
I can see the truth
It’s all over your face
Someone has come between us
And I’m still lovin you
I know what I must do

It might take some time
To heal my wounded heart
Well I’m hurt
Downhearted
And I’m feelin misused
But I got my whole life ahead
And here’s where I start baby

Ohh don’t, don’t try to explain baby
Cause you’re all out in the open
But I’ll take the blame
For lovin you way too much
And foolishly hopin
All the time knowin

Aww don’t, don’t have to explain baby
Don’t you worry about it
Cause I’ll be okay
Cause you see pain ain’t nuthin new
Well it’s sure not the first time
And it’s probly not the last

Solo

You don’t have to explain baby
Don’t you worry about it
Cause I’ll be okay
You see, pain ain’t nuthin new
Well it’s sure ont the first time
And it probly won’t be the last





You see that’s the way it goes sometimes

Overall Meaning

Keb' Mo's song Don't Try To Explain is about a breakup. The singer's partner has been unfaithful, and despite their attempts to explain themselves, the singer's heart is already broken. The song's lyrics convey the singer's pain and the difficulty of moving on.


In the first verse, the singer tells their partner not to bother explaining, as their heart is already broken and they are feeling the pain of the breakup. The partner had made a promise they could not keep, and it's clear they are tired of the singer. In the second verse, the singer realizes that someone else has come between them, and despite still loving their partner, they know what they must do.


The chorus repeats the message that the partner need not explain, as the truth is already out in the open. The singer takes the blame for loving their partner too much and foolishly hoping, despite knowing the truth. The singer acknowledges the pain but looks forward to the future.


Overall, the song conveys the pain and heartache of a breakup and the bittersweet process of moving on.


Line by Line Meaning

Don’t, try to explain
Don't bother trying to explain things to me


My hearts already broken
My heart is already broken


And I’m feelin the pain
I'm feeling the emotional pain of heartbreak


The promise that you could not keep
You made a promise that you couldn't keep


Though it’s easy to see
It's obvious


You’re tired of me
You're tired of being with me


I can see the truth
I can see the reality of the situation


It’s all over your face
It's clearly visible on your face


Someone has come between us
Another person has caused a rift between us


And I’m still lovin you
And I am still in love with you


I know what I must do
I know what actions I need to take


It might take some time
It may take a while


To heal my wounded heart
To emotionally recover from heartbreak


Well I’m hurt
I am emotionally hurt


Downhearted
Down in spirit, disheartened


And I’m feelin misused
I feel taken advantage of


But I got my whole life ahead
I have my whole life in front of me


And here’s where I start baby
This is where I begin to move on


Ohh don’t, don’t try to explain baby
Please don't try to explain things to me


Cause you’re all out in the open
Everything is out in the open, the truth is known


But I’ll take the blame
I'll accept responsibility


For lovin you way too much
For loving you too much


And foolishly hopin
And hoping foolishly


All the time knowin
All the while knowing


Aww don’t, don’t have to explain baby
You really don't have to explain things to me


Don’t you worry about it
Don't worry about it


Cause I’ll be okay
Because I'll be alright


Cause you see pain ain’t nuthin new
Because experiencing pain is not new to me


Well it’s sure not the first time
It's definitely not the first time


And it’s probly not the last
And it's probably not going to be the last


Solo
Instrumental section


You don’t have to explain baby
You really don't have to explain things to me


Don’t you worry about it
Don't worry about it


Cause I’ll be okay
Because I'll be alright


You see, pain ain’t nuthin new
Experiencing pain is not new to me


Well it’s sure ont the first time
It's definitely not the first time


And it probly won’t be the last
And it's probably not going to be the last


You see that’s the way it goes sometimes
That's just the way things happen sometimes




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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

기선제압

Don’t, try to explain
My hearts already broken
And I’m feelin the pain
The promise that you could not keep
Though it’s easy to see
You’re tired of me

 
Don’t, try to explain
I can see the truth
It’s all over your face
Someone has come between us
And I’m still lovin you
I know what I must do

 
It might take some time
To heal my wounded heart
Well I’m hurt
Downhearted
And I’m feelin misused
But I got my whole life ahead
And here’s where I start baby

 
Ohh don’t, don’t try to explain baby
Cause you’re all out in the open
But I’ll take the blame
For lovin you way too much
And foolishly hopin
All the time knowin
Aww don’t, don’t have to explain baby
Don’t you worry about it
Cause I’ll be okay
Cause you see pain ain’t nuthin new
Well it’s sure not the first time
And it’s probly not the last

 
Solo

 
You don’t have to explain baby
Don’t you worry about it
Cause I’ll be okay
You see, pain ain’t nuthin new
Well it’s sure ont the first time
And it probly won’t be the last

 
You see that’s the way it goes sometimes



All comments from YouTube:

Loretta Mhoon

I love him!! He feeds my soul ❤

기선제압

Don’t, try to explain
My hearts already broken
And I’m feelin the pain
The promise that you could not keep
Though it’s easy to see
You’re tired of me

 
Don’t, try to explain
I can see the truth
It’s all over your face
Someone has come between us
And I’m still lovin you
I know what I must do

 
It might take some time
To heal my wounded heart
Well I’m hurt
Downhearted
And I’m feelin misused
But I got my whole life ahead
And here’s where I start baby

 
Ohh don’t, don’t try to explain baby
Cause you’re all out in the open
But I’ll take the blame
For lovin you way too much
And foolishly hopin
All the time knowin
Aww don’t, don’t have to explain baby
Don’t you worry about it
Cause I’ll be okay
Cause you see pain ain’t nuthin new
Well it’s sure not the first time
And it’s probly not the last

 
Solo

 
You don’t have to explain baby
Don’t you worry about it
Cause I’ll be okay
You see, pain ain’t nuthin new
Well it’s sure ont the first time
And it probly won’t be the last

 
You see that’s the way it goes sometimes

Aladdin Sane

One of the true great bluesman of our lifetime.
Just like BB King he is both an amazing guitar player and singer as well.
Keb Mo is the real deal.

Katfish Jak

I like to play this song on piano. Could you imagine half a dozen sisters backin him up? Grand...

Graham Clayton

Discovered this on Mark Kerr's "Blues Nation" podcast - great song!

ibkristykat

I love this song. My question is, is this a KEB MO song - as in written by him - or is it a cover? I love this song though.

Martin Indik

He wrote it.

Davide Renna

Dedicato al mio amico Giò/ Lollo. Dedicato a tutte quelle persone che tentano l'impossibile e poi non possono far altro che dire a se stessi.... that's the way it goes sometimes.....

Archi Bukson

Great

tmike sartain

This song reminds me of "At this Moment" by Billy Vera and the Beaters

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