Keep It to Yourself
Paul Kelly and The Messengers Lyrics
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Ever since you've been away
You've been moving all around
You came home today
Well maybe you've been with someone
You met after the show
Keep it to yourself
Keep it to yourself
If you're guilty in your heart
Just try and hold your tongue
If you want to let it out
Baby save it for a song
I don't want your honesty
Or descriptions blow by blow
Keep it to yourself
Keep it to yourself
Baby I don't want to know
Look around you; we're living in amazing times
They're not so important - your little crimes
I've been sleeping on my own
But I don't sleep all of the time
Twenty-four hours in one day
And sleeping's only nine
There are many places in the sun
And many corners without you
Keep it to yourself
Keep it to yourself
And I'll keep my secrets too
In Paul Kelly's song Keep It to Yourself, the singer expresses his desire to remain ignorant about his romantic partner's possible infidelity. He hints at suspicions that his partner may have been seeing someone else during her absence but actively avoids hearing about it. The singer suggests that ignorance is preferable to honesty, implying that the truth would only cause pain and damage to their relationship. The singer urges his partner to keep her secrets to herself and save her confessions for a song.
The lyrics capture the difficulty of confronting infidelity and the desire to avoid painful truths. The singer's view that ignorance is bliss may seem like a passive approach to relationships, but it highlights the complexities of human emotions and relationships. The lyrics also suggest the importance of privacy, and how sharing too much information can be damaging. The singer prefers to keep his and his partner's secrets to themselves, indicating the importance of trust and the preservation of their intimacy.
Overall, the song is a somber reflection on love, trust, betrayal, and the complications of romantic relationships. The lyrics are straightforward, with Kelly's voice and the simple guitar chords emphasizing the melancholic atmosphere and the singer's vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been sleeping on my own
Since you left, I've been sleeping alone
Ever since you've been away
This is how long it's been since you left
You've been moving all around
I know you've been traveling and moving frequently
You came home today
You just returned today
Well maybe you've been with someone
I suspect you may have spent time with another person
You met after the show
Perhaps this person you were with is someone you met after a performance
Keep it to yourself
Do not tell me about it, keep it a secret
Baby I don't want to know
I do not want to know because the truth would hurt me
If you're guilty in your heart
If you feel guilty about it
Just try and hold your tongue
Try not to talk about it, keep it to yourself
If you want to let it out
If you feel the need to share it
Baby save it for a song
Put it in a song instead of telling me
I don't want your honesty
I don't want you to be truthful with me
Or descriptions blow by blow
I don't want to hear about the details
Look around you; we're living in amazing times
We're in a time of wonders and innovations
They're not so important - your little crimes
Your insignificant wrongdoing does not matter compared to everything else
But I don't sleep all of the time
I don't spend all my days sleeping
Twenty-four hours in one day
The amount of time in a day is fixed at 24 hours
And sleeping's only nine
I only sleep for one-third of a day
There are many places in the sun
The world is a big place
And many corners without you
There are many places where you are not
And I'll keep my secrets too
I also have secrets that I won't share
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL MAURICE KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lyndy Lou
I drove around Europe listening to the Comedy album. Many great memories. Thank you PK.
Chris K. Head
Paul Kelly.. simply the greatest!
walsh11ipt
Such a great song
Ben Marchant
PK you legend. Another of my faces from the master himself.
Deep Dive Gaming
Love it!
romeosyne
Should've been a big hit, but people do not want anything deep or subtle in their music these days, do they?
Leno Ricci
this is the best song Paul Kelly ever wrote. And is never included on any "best of" albums. Typical.
Matthew Finn
Just brilliant
Jason Usborne
This is a hard lesson to learn.
Shane Levy
There's one from the archives!