About The Song
“He’ll Have to Go” became Jim Reeves’ signature hit and one of the defining records of the emerging Nashville Sound. Written by the husband-and-wife team of Joe and Audrey Allison, the song was inspired by a real telephone conversation. Joe had trouble hearing Audrey because of background noise and her soft voice, so he asked her to put her lips closer to the receiver. That simple request became the opening line of the song.
Rockabilly singer Billy Brown recorded the first version, but it drew little attention. Reeves heard it and immediately wanted to cut his own. Others advised him to wait and see whether Brown’s release would catch on. Reeves was certain it would be major. He recorded the track on October 15, 1959, at RCA Studio B in Nashville with producer Chet Atkins. RCA Victor released it in November as the B-side of “In a Mansion Stands My Love.” Disc jockeys quickly flipped the single, and the public followed.
The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on February 8, 1960, and stayed there for fourteen consecutive weeks—the longest run at the top at that time. It also crossed over strongly, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, held off the top spot only by Percy Faith’s “Theme from A Summer Place.” Billboard ranked it the number-two song of 1960 overall. It reached number thirteen on the R&B chart and found success internationally, including a number-twelve peak in the United Kingdom.
The lyric places a man on the telephone with the woman he loves while another man is present in the room with her. He asks her to turn down the jukebox, lean closer to the phone, and decide whether the other man must leave. Reeves delivers the plea in his distinctive smooth baritone, supported by understated instrumentation and soft background vocals that became hallmarks of the polished Nashville Sound.
Reeves himself later expressed mild surprise at the song’s enduring popularity, describing the image of the man in the phone booth as somewhat pathetic. Yet he had predicted its lasting power before it was even released, calling it the record that would outlive everything else he did. The single became the title track of a 1960 RCA compilation album that also included earlier hits such as “Billy Bayou.”
The success of “He’ll Have to Go” cemented Reeves’ status as a major crossover artist and helped define the smoother direction country music was taking at the turn of the decade. It remained his final number-one single during his lifetime; he died in a plane crash in July 1964. The recording continues to stand as one of the clearest examples of how a simple, well-crafted country song could reach far beyond its original audience.
Video
Lyric
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?
Though 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’ll 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