It Must Be Him
The Ray Conniff Singers Lyrics


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I tell myself what′s done is done
I tell myself don't be a fool
Play the field have a lot of fun
It′s easy when you play it cool

I tell myself don't be a chump
Who cares, let him stay away
That's when the phone rings and then I jump
And as I grab the phone I pray:

Let it please be him, dear God above
It must be him, it must be him
Or I shall die (I shall die)
Or I shall die (I shall die)

Hello, hello, dear God above
It must be him, but it′s not him
And then I die (then I die)
That′s when I die (that's when I die)

After a while, I′m myself again
I take the pieces about the floor
Put my heart on the shelf again
You'll never hurt me anymore

I′m not a puppet on a string
I'll find somebody, somebody new someday
That′s when the phone begins to ring,
And once again I start to pray:

Let it please be him, dear God above
It must be him, it must be him
Or I shall die (I shall die)
Or I shall die (I shall die)

Hello, hello, dear God above
It must be him, but it's not him
And then I die (then I die)
That's when I die (that′s when I die)

Hello, hello, dear God above
It must be him, it must be him




Or I shall die (I′ll surely die)
Or I shall die (I know I'll die)

Overall Meaning

The song "It Must Be Him" by The Ray Conniff Singers is a heart-wrenching ballad about a person waiting desperately for a call from their lover. The singer tells themselves to move on and forget about their lover but can't when the phone rings. The person prays for it to be their lover calling and is filled with hope and joy when they answer, but their hope is crushed when it is not the person they were hoping for. The singer is left feeling emotions of desperation, heartbreak and despair.


The lyrics of the song reflect the depth of love one has for someone and how it can affect their emotions. It shows how someone in love can be brought to their knees by the mere thought of losing their loved one. The lyrics "It must be him or I shall die" are a powerful statement of how being in love can be all-consuming.


The line "I'm not a puppet on a string" highlights the singer's determination to move on and find someone new. However, the singer ultimately fails to move on, knowing that the person they truly want to hear from is their former lover.


Line by Line Meaning

I tell myself what's done is done
I try to convince myself to move on from the past.


I tell myself don't be a fool
I try to keep myself from being foolish or naive.


Play the field have a lot of fun
I encourage myself to date around and have a good time.


It's easy when you play it cool
Dating is much easier when you don't put too much pressure on it.


I tell myself don't be a chump
I remind myself not to be gullible or easily taken advantage of.


Who cares, let him stay away
I try to convince myself that I don't need someone who doesn't want me.


That's when the phone rings and then I jump
But when I hear from him, I get excited and hopeful.


And as I grab the phone I pray:
I beg to whoever is listening for it to be him.


Let it please be him, dear God above
I plead for the person on the other end of the line to be the one I want.


It must be him, it must be him
I'm sure beyond doubt that it's the person I'm hoping for.


Or I shall die (I shall die)
I feel like my world would end if it's not him.


Hello, hello, dear God above
I greet whoever is listening on the other end of the line.


And then I die (then I die)
I'm crushed when I find out it's not who I was expecting.


After a while, I'm myself again
Eventually, I move on from my disappointment and regain my usual composure.


I take the pieces about the floor
I pick up the broken pieces of my heart.


Put my heart on the shelf again
I try to protect myself by not investing too much emotionally.


You'll never hurt me anymore
I vow to not let anyone have such power over my feelings again.


I'm not a puppet on a string
I declare that I won't let myself be controlled by anyone else.


I'll find somebody, somebody new someday
I hold out hope for finding love again with someone else in the future.


That's when the phone begins to ring,
But when the phone rings again, I get hopeful once more.


And once again I start to pray:
I repeat my desperate appeal for it to be the one I want.


Let it please be him, dear God above
I desperately hope for the person on the other end of the line to be the one I need.


It must be him, it must be him
I'm again convinced without question that it's the one I'm longing for.


Or I shall die (I shall die)
The possibility of it not being them is just too much to bear.


Hello, hello, dear God above
I address the divine with the same desperate hope and longing as before.


Or I shall die (I'll surely die)
I know the sting of disappointment will be too much if it's not them.


I know I'll die
I feel like I will lose a part of myself if it's not who I want it to be.




Writer(s): Mack David, Gilbert Francois Leopold Becaud, Maurice Alfred Marie Vidalin

Contributed by Aaron A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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