Gibson was born in Shelby, North Carolina into a poor working-class family, he dropped out of school in the second grade.
Gibson's first band was called Sons of the Soil, with whom he made his first recording in 1948. Among his greatest hits were "Oh Lonesome Me" (later recorded by both Ray Charles and Neil Young) and "Blue Blue Day" (both No. 1 hits in 1958); "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" (1959); "Sea of Heartbreak" (1961); "Lonesome No. 1" and "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart" (1962); and "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" (a No. 1 hit in 1972).
Gibson recorded a series of successful duets with Dottie West in the late 1960s, the most successful of which were the No. 2 country hit "Rings of Gold" (1969) and the top 10 hit "There's a Story Goin' Round" (1970). In 1957, Gibson travelled back to Nashville to record "Oh Lonesome Me" for RCA. He and producer Chet Atkins decided to abandon the traditional steel guitar and fiddle and use a new sound featuring only guitars, a piano, a drummer, upright bass, and background singers. It became one of the first examples of what would be called the Nashville Sound and won Gibson a #1 hit; it also set the pattern for a long series of other RCA hits, including “Blue Blue Day” (1958).
A talented songwriter, Gibson was nicknamed "the sad poet" because he frequently wrote songs that told of loneliness and lost love. He wrote and sang "I Can't Stop Loving You", a song that would be recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles with a pop version in 1962. He also wrote and recorded "Sweet Dreams" that would become a major 1963 crossover hit for Patsy Cline. A great fan, in 1967 Roy Orbison recorded an album of his songs simply titled: Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson.
Don Gibson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and in 2001 into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
On his passing in 2003, he was interred in the Sunset Cemetery, in his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina.
It Has to Be
Don Gibson Lyrics
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I love you so oh don't you know it has to be
Although at times your love's not true though you've had friends
I know not who can't let you go, I love you so it has to be
Well, you can't be happy, no use to try, I wouldn't be satisfied
If you were gone and I was not by your side
Although the tears off dim my eyes, I'm not too fit to sit and cry
Well, you can't be happy, no use to try, I wouldn't be satisfied
If you were gone and I was not by your side
Although the tears off dim my eyes, I'm not too fit to sit and cry
It's half a true it's only you, it has to be
The lyrics to Don Gibson's song "It Has to Be" speak of a love that is both painful and enduring. The singer acknowledges that his love interest treats him badly, but he cannot let her go because he loves her so much. Even though she is unfaithful and has other friends, the singer is still deeply devoted to her. He tells her that even though she may mean and mistreat him, he still loves her and cannot let her go.
The song is about the pain of being in love with someone who does not love you back in the same way. The singer is willing to endure this pain because he believes that he and his love interest are meant to be together, no matter what the obstacles may be. The repetitiveness of the lyrics "It has to be" underscores the singer's conviction that his love for this woman is immutable and that he can never walk away from her.
The song is a musical representation of the classic trope of "unrequited love," a theme that has resonated with people across generations and cultures. It speaks to the bittersweet paradox of loving someone who does not love you in the same way, and the reluctance to let go of that love because of its profound emotional attachment.
Line by Line Meaning
Although you mean and throw to me just like a fool won't set you free
Even though you hurt me and treat me poorly, I still can't let you go
I love you so oh don't you know it has to be
My love for you is so strong that I can't help but stay with you
Although at times your love's not true though you've had friends
Although you may not always love me back and have other people in your life
I know not who can't let you go, I love you so it has to be
I may not understand why I continue to love you, but I just do
Well, you can't be happy, no use to try, I wouldn't be satisfied
I know that you can never truly be happy without me and I wouldn't be happy without you either
If you were gone and I was not by your side
If we were separated, I would feel incomplete and unhappy
Although the tears off dim my eyes, I'm not too fit to sit and cry
Even though I cry over you, I am still strong enough to keep going
It's half a true it's only you, it has to be
It may only be partially true that you're the one for me, but I still believe it's meant to be
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GIBSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind