I Think it's a man playing a father figure a baby girl whom he's not sure is his. "spending time convinced that it's mine" also "with her to keep her out of mind" he basically doesn't want to think about it so he'll "play the part" as a father, but taking care which way the wind blows" knowing that it may not be his. Then he says, "look the way her hair curls" meaning the daughter and him dont seem related. The following verse is about the clown. The image of a curly hair clown. Maybe the womens ex-boyfriend and the actual father. "he's a fool to assume you'd thought that I'm a thief that has just been caught" the singer is commenting on the irony of the "clowns" jealousy and assumption that the singer took the woman from him, when in fact the irony is that the clown and the woman share the child that the singer is taking care as his own. What he doesn't find funny anymore is either the clown or Maybe jokes about how his daughter doesnt look like him or looks like the other man. So he won't play the part, or be the father. And when the singer confronts her about the joke shes not laughing anyway. So then he says again I won't play the part in your mistake (cheating) unless you stay.
I Think it's a man playing a father figure a baby girl whom he's not sure is his. "spending time convinced that it's mine" also "with her to keep her out of mind" he basically doesn't want to think about it so he'll "play the part" as a father, but taking care which way the wind blows" knowing that it may not be his. Then he says, "look the way her hair curls" meaning the daughter and him dont seem related. The following verse is about the clown. The image of a curly hair clown. Maybe the womens ex-boyfriend and the actual father. "he's a fool to assume you'd thought that I'm a thief that has just been caught" the singer is commenting on the irony of the "clowns" jealousy and assumption that the singer took the woman from him, when in fact the irony is that the clown and the woman share the child that the singer is taking care as his own. What he doesn't find funny anymore is either the clown or Maybe jokes about how his daughter doesnt look like him or looks like the other man. So he won't play the part, or be the father. And when the singer confronts her about the joke shes not laughing anyway. So then he says again I won't play the part in your mistake (cheating) unless you stay.
I know it's left field but it sounds close.