☝️ Key Points
- The narrator is involved in a secret relationship with someone who is already in a relationship or marriage.
- The relationship appears to be complex and difficult, as it cannot be open and public.
- The repeated lines in the song are a passionate call for honesty and transparency in their relationship.
- The narrator shows desperation and regret, as they are aware that they are in a difficult and painful situation.
- 'In Private' is a song about secret love, betrayal, and the emotional suffering that such situations can cause.
Interpretation
'In Private' by
Dusty Springfield is a song about a secret relationship and the emotional pain that can come from such a situation. The narrator in the song seems to be in a clandestine relationship with someone who is already in another relationship or even married.
The lines 'We should stay together / If we can / But what you've planned / Means there's a difference between' suggest the complexity of their relationship and the difficulties they are going through. It is implied that their relationship cannot be open and public, and that their partner intends to keep it that way.
The repetition of the lines 'What you're gonna say / In private / You still want my love / We're in this together / And what you're gonna do / In public / Say you were never in love / That you can remember' is a passionate plea for honesty and transparency. The narrator longs for their love to be acknowledged and made public, but their partner is not willing to do so.
At the end of the song, the narrator asks 'What you gonna say, ay / When you run back to your wife? / I guess it's just the story of my life / What you gonna say?' This shows their desperation and regret over the situation they find themselves in. They are aware that they are in a difficult and painful situation, feeling helpless and unsure of how to break free from it.
Overall, 'In Private' is a powerful song about secret love, betrayal, and the emotional pain that can come from such a situation.