He'll Have To Go
Patsy Cline & Jim Reeves Lyrics


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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 "He'll Have to Go" tell the story of a man who is on the phone with a woman he loves, but she is not alone. He asks her to pretend that they are together and tells her to ask her friend to leave so they can be alone. He then asks her to confess her love for him and to choose between him and the other man. The chorus repeats the desire for her to put her lips close to the phone and pretend they are alone, promising to turn down the jukebox.


The song speaks of the pain of unrequited love and the desire to be with the one you love. It also touches on the conflict between loyalty to a current partner and the temptation of a new love.


Line by Line Meaning

Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone.
Come closer to the phone, speak softly and sweetly like we're together alone.


Let's pretend that we're together, all alone.
Imagine that we're alone together and nothing else exists.


I'll tell the man to turn the jukebox way down low,
I'll ask the person in charge to reduce the noise of the jukebox so that we can hear each other more clearly.


And you can tell your friend there with you he'll have to go.
Ask your friend who's accompanying you to leave so we can have privacy.


Whisper to me, tell me do you love me true,
Speak softly to me and let me know if you love me sincerely.


Or is he holding you the way I do?
Is he holding you as I do or is it just me?


Tho' love is blind, make up your mind, I've got to know,
Although love can be confusing, please decide and let me know as I need to find out.


Should I hang up, or will you tell him he'll have to go?
Can I hang up now or will you ask him to leave?


You can't say the words I want to hear while you're with another man,
You cannot tell me what I want to hear while you're with someone else.


If you want me, answer "yes" or "no,"
If you truly want to be with me, please give a definite answer - either a "yes" or a "no".


Darling, I will understand.
Darling, whatever your answer is, I will understand.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joe Allison, Audrey Allison

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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