He's Sure the Boy I Love
The Crystals Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I always dreamed the boy I loved would come along
And he'd be tall and handsome rich and strong
But now that boy I love has come to me
But he sure ain't the way I thought he'd be
(He's sure the boy I love)
He doesn't look like a movie star
He doesn't drive a Cadillac car
He sure ain't the boy I've been dreamin' of
But he's sure the boy I love
Let me tell ya now
He'll never be a big business man
He always buys on the installment plan
He sure ain't the boy I've been dreamin' of
But he's sure the boy I love
When he holds me tight
Everything's right
Crazy as it seems
I'm his whatever he is
And I forget all of my dreams
(Everybody knows)
He doesn't hang diamonds round my neck
And all he's got's an unemployment check
He sure ain't the boy I've been dreamin' of
But he's sure the boy I love
When he holds me tight
Everything's right
Crazy as it seems
I'm his whatever he is
And I forget all of my dreams
Everybody knows
He doesn't hang diamonds round my neck
And all he's got's an unemployment check
He sure ain't the boy I've been dreamin' of
But he's sure the boy I love
(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh




(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh

Overall Meaning

The Crystals’ song “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” is a sweet ode to finding love unexpectedly. The song’s protagonist explains that she always dreamed of finding a tall, handsome, rich, and strong man to be with. However, the boy she ends up falling in love with is quite different from the man she envisioned. He is not a movie star or a big business man, he does not drive a Cadillac, and he only has an unemployment check to his name. However, none of these things matter, because when she is with him everything feels right, and she forgets all of her dreams.


The lyrics are a commentary on the idea that sometimes love can appear in unexpected places, and that a person’s worth is not determined by their wealth or social status. The singer recognizes that the boy she loves may not fit the mold of what she always thought she wanted, but that does not make her love him any less. The song is ultimately about accepting the imperfections in one’s partner, and finding happiness in the simple things in life.


Overall, “He’s Sure the Boy I Love” has stood the test of time as a classic example of 1960s girl group pop. The song’s catchy melody and relatable lyrics make it a hit that listeners can still enjoy today.



Line by Line Meaning

I always dreamed the boy I loved would come along
I always imagined my ideal partner would appear in my life


And he'd be tall and handsome rich and strong
I fantasized about a guy who would have a great physique and be wealthy and robust


But now that boy I love has come to me
But now, the guy I love has indeed entered in my life


But he sure ain't the way I thought he'd be
But unfortunately, he doesn't match what I envisioned he would look like


(He's sure the boy I love)
(Although) he's definitely the guy I adore


He doesn't look like a movie star
He doesn't resemble a celebrity


He doesn't drive a Cadillac car
He doesn't own a luxurious ride


He sure ain't the boy I've been dreamin' of
He's not exactly the perfect man I envisioned


But he's sure the boy I love
But he's definitely the man that I sincerely love


He'll never be a big business man
He doesn't have aspirations to be a high-ranking corporate executive


He always buys on the installment plan
He usually purchases goods on a payment plan


When he holds me tight
Whenever he embraces and clasps me


Everything's right
Everything instantly feels perfect


Crazy as it seems
Although it may sound illogical


I'm his whatever he is
I belong to him no matter what kind of person he is


And I forget all of my dreams
I stop thinking about all of my long-held desires


(Everybody knows)
(It's a widely known fact)


He doesn't hang diamonds round my neck
He doesn't provide me with expensive jewelry


And all he's got's an unemployment check
All he has is a government subsidy for being jobless


He sure ain't the boy I've been dreamin' of
He still doesn't completely match the criteria I envisioned


But he's sure the boy I love
But he definitely is the man that I love sincerely


(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(The man I love is the one I truly adore) (repeated chorus)


(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(The guy I admire is definitely the one I love) (repeated chorus)


(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(I am convinced that he's the man I truly love) (repeated chorus)


(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(The one I really love is definitely him) (repeated chorus)


(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(Although he doesn't meet my ideal boyfriend, I still love him) (repeated chorus)


(He's sure the boy I love) oh, oh, oh
(The guy I adore with all my heart is surely him) (repeated chorus)




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@jefpepitone3574

merci mr from france

@AtlantaGymFan

Terrific with the incomparable Darlene Love!

@laurencehoefler8711

This is a great-sounding alt. take. Your efforts in providing these rarities and related information is much appreciated and helps keep this type of music alive. Thanks Anthony - Laurence

@petee19

Great alternative version.

@johnclark4761

As always Anthony a great video to accompany this track

@RonaldVaughan

My God! This sounds a little BETTER! Why didn't PHIL release this one??

@goodguy3791

The released version of this song has Darlene double tracked.  With the exception of the whoawhoa's at the beginning, a lot of this alternate take sounds like one of two tracks used for the double tracked version.  I'm amazed at how well Darlene could consistently do her voiceovers....well, with the exception of the end of He's a Rebel, but that turned into magic :)

@georgecoles7988

WOW!!! Unbelievable. Thank you

@robertdoherty2001

The only release of this I know of is on the 2-record set of ‘’Phil Spector’s Greatest Hits’’ issued in the 70s. Didn’t realize it was an alternate, so the official version came as a surprise later on.

@garyrbeck

The Wall Of Sound I loved so much. Phil was a genius, gone wrong.

More Versions