He'll Have To Go
Jim Reeves Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone
Let's pretend that we're together, all alone
I'll tell the man to turn the jukebox way down low
And you can tell your friend there with you he'll have to go

Whisper to me, tell me do you love me true
Or is he holding you the way I do?
Tho' love is blind, make up your mind, I've got to know
Should I hang up, or will you tell him he'll have to go?

You can't say the words I want to hear
While you're with another man
Do you want me, answer yes or no
Darling, I will understand

Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone
Let's pretend that we're together, all alone




I'll tell the man to turn the jukebox way down low
And you can tell your friend there with you he'll have to go

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jim Reeves's classic song He'll Have to Go talk about a man who is deeply in love with his dream girl, who he calls "dream baby". He is dreaming sweet dreams about her all day and night, and cannot help but think about her constantly. However, he knows that just dreaming about her is not enough, and that he needs to be with her in reality to make his dreams come true. The chorus of the song asks "how long must I dream?", indicating the man's urgency to make his dream girl a reality.


The song is a perfect example of the romantic ballads of the 1950s and 60s. It describes the deep, innocent, and inescapable love that a man feels for a woman. The lyrics are simple, but profound, and the melody is soothing and calming, which makes it a perfect choice for slow dancing.


One interpretation of the song is that the man is trying to persuade his dream girl to stop playing hard-to-get and finally be with him. He knows that he will not be able to stop dreaming about her until she finally agrees to be with him. In essence, he is telling her that he cannot wait any longer and that she will have to make the first move.


Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to love, and it continues to be popular among couples to this day.


Line by Line Meaning

Sweet dream baby
Addressing the person that the singer desires to dream about


Sweet dream baby
Repetition of the previous line to emphasize the person of desire


Sweet dream baby
Repetition of the previous line to emphasize the person of desire


How long must I dream
Asking how long the singer must dream of the person of desire


Dream baby got me dreamin' sweet dreams the whole day through
The person of desire has taken over the singer's thoughts and daydreams


Dream baby got me dreamin' sweet dreams night time too
The person of desire also dominates the singer's dreams at night


I love you and I'm dreaming of you but that won't do
The singer loves the person of desire but simply dreaming about them is not enough


Dream baby make me stop my dreamin', you can make my dreams come true
The singer is pleading with the person of desire to make their dreams a reality


Aww, sweet dream baby (dream baby)
Expressing affection for the person of desire


Yea-eh-ah, sweet dream baby (dream baby)
Repeating the expression of affection for the person of desire


Sweet dream baby (dream baby)
Repeating the title of the song




Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joe Allison, Audrey Allison

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@sola8649

Still play this for my 62 yr old mother, it reminds her of grandad as he would sing it for my grandmother, it brings tears but that’s why I’m here for her 😁

@pageluvva

Beautiful story. I am here for something like that as well.

@MrRowley5

I am 62 too and listen to this

@teresabeaver5044

My mother is gone now but she would sing this song she loved Jim Reeves she love to sing his songs I grew up loving him also

@Lucinda_Jackson

My dad was a coach and teacher at a rural high school in Indiana. In the summer, he ran a recreation/get together night on Saturday evenings for kids to be able to meet over the summer. The gym was open and there were boys shooting baskets at one end and a volleyball/badminton net set up at the other end. Just outside the gym was the large ticket sales office and concession stand and girls gathered around a record player and a radio plugged in there and they'd chat and dance and compare make-up tips and outfits.

It was August of 1962 and I was 6, turning 7 in September. I LOVED to tag along with my Dad and hang out with the girls. They treated me like their pet and danced with me and lifted me up to sit on the concession counter so I'd be at eye level for chatting and I ate it up.

One week, as we were leaving after Dad put all the equipment away and generally picked up, I noticed a 45 still sitting on the turntable and turned it on. This song is what played and I was in love. I'd never heard it before (for a little kid, I was pretty in to music) and I just thought it was the greatest song ever! If I remember, the flip side was a song called "Charms" that I didn't like - I should go listen to it to see what I think now! Anyway, my Dad let me take the 45 home and I played the heck out of it all week before I had to return it the following Saturday. The record's owner thought it was so cute that I loved the song that much and gifted me the record.

I had that 45 up until 3 years ago which means I kept it for 58 years! And I still love the song though I hadn't listened to it for at least 20 yrs! And every dog I've ever owned has loved it, too, because I'd sing it to them! 😊

@RobinRand4123

Hello🖐Lucinda, how are you, how is everything over there?

@cherylyoung481

I am now in my early to mid 60's. My Oldest Brother and my Mama introduced me to Jim Reeves Music. Grew up with it. "He'll Have To Go " was my Favorite of His Country Music...I Love His Singing of the Gospel Hymns. I still Have a Copy of the 78 LP from the 60's..When I was in College in Central Fl. I had a Sterio Record/ 8 Track Player, AM FM RADIO FROM THE MID 70'S. Well Anyway, At that time , I had gotten a Big Winnie the Pooh Bear from Disney World. On nights, I'd be tired , studying my college . And then I'd put the Record on of Jim singing "He'll Have To Go".... Now that's Country Music Folks with Heart and Soul to Beat ...Pooh Bear and I would Dance the night away. Something that good, you play over and over. Later on, I played an 8 Track, at home and in my truck too. Later on, it was out in Cassette and now CD. Would be nixe to have had Him Singing Live on a DVD. God Bless You Jim up there in Heaven. And God Bless All reading the comments and have a Blessed Week and a Safe One too...

@markclifford1857

Hello 👋 Cheryl. How are you doing? Hope you are fine. I’m Mark Clifford and am from Denver Colorado. Where are you from? You seem like a real country girl

@tacticalgamer4939

My grandpa passed on October 12 2023, loves Jim reeves. Passed away listening to this song❤️😢🕊️

@dcdel1

God bless him, and bless you, I know your pain,my dad loved this song so much, I struggle listening to it, he died 16 years ago, I miss him every day.

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