My Crucial Track for 01 May 2025

"He'll Have to Go" by Jim Reeves

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Today we’re throwing it way back — to a classic country song that means a lot to me. It’s He’ll Have to Go by Jim Reeves. Some of you might not even know who that is — and that’s okay. But for me, hearing his voice brings back some of the best memories.

Jim Reeves was one of my Grandpa’s all-time favorites. Whether it was a cassette or later a CD, he always had him playing in the car. That smooth voice was the soundtrack of so many summer days.

When I got older, I started mowing lawns with my Grandpa — he had a little side business, and I’d help him out. We’d drive from house to house, him behind the wheel, Jim Reeves playing, and the two of us singing along.

Out of all the songs, He’ll Have to Go is the one that stuck with me the most. I’m not even sure why. Maybe it was how calm he looked driving, humming along like he’d heard it a thousand times — because he had.

Now that he’s gone, this song takes me right back to those rides. Him driving, me in the passenger seat, the sun beating down, grass clippings in the air, and that voice on the stereo. It’s a memory I’ll always hold close.

> 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?