He'll Have To Go

Bryan Ferry's rendition of 'He'll Have To Go' is a poignant exploration of love, longing, and the painful uncertainty that often accompanies romantic relationships. The song's lyrics paint a vivid picture of a man who is deeply in love but finds himself in a precarious situation. He is on the phone with his lover, who is currently with another man, and he is desperate to know where he stands in her heart. The opening lines, 'Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone / Let's pretend that we're together all alone,' set the stage for an intimate yet heart-wrenching conversation. The man is yearning for a moment of closeness, even if it's just a pretense, to gain some clarity about their relationship.

The chorus, '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,' underscores the man's desire for exclusivity and commitment. He wants his lover to make a choice, to either affirm her love for him or to let him go. This plea is further emphasized in the lines, 'Whisper to me tell me do you love me true? / Or is he holding you the way I do?' Here, the man is seeking reassurance and truth, even though he knows that love can often be blind and confusing.

The song's emotional core lies in its exploration of the complexities of love and loyalty. The man understands that his lover cannot give him the answers he seeks while she is with another man, as highlighted in the lines, 'You can't say the words I want to hear while you're with another man / If you want me answer