Don't Explain

The speaker welcomes someone back and asks them not to explain what happened. She seems to know the person has been unfaithful, but chooses closeness over confrontation. The mood mixes relief at the reunion with hurt and resignation: she loves this person deeply, even though the relationship causes pain.

The lipstick is a telling image: the speaker notices it and may suspect it reveals another encounter, yet asks the person to skip explaining it. “Folks chatter” suggests other people are gossiping about the affair, while “joy and pain” captures the relationship’s opposing effects. The repeated request not to explain may mean she would rather avoid hearing the truth than risk losing the person again.

The lyrics present devotion as both a source of comfort and a reason the speaker accepts behavior that hurts her. Her claim that right and wrong do not matter may express a deliberate choice to stay, or a conflicted attempt to silence her own doubts. The song does not tell us whether this arrangement will last or whether she feels at peace with it; the repeated words can sound tender, resigned, or quietly desperate.