About The Song
“If This Is It” is a song by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News. It was released as the fourth single from their number-one album Sports in 1983, and became their fifth top-ten and third consecutive number-six hit on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached number five on the Adult Contemporary chart, and then became their first UK hit single, reaching number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is written in 12
8 time signature.
Billboard called it a “guileless ’50s throwback.” Cash Box called the song “doo-wop at its finest.”
The music video for “If This Is It” was filmed in Santa Cruz, California, in June 1984. Huey is seen trying to reconcile with his ex-girlfriend (Janet Cross). He sees her on the beach and at a line of midway amusements with other men, and has a flashback of a romantic night with her. His ex’s friend (Sandra Wilder) observes Huey’s frustrations and feels sorry for him. After one last effort by Huey to win his ex back fails, he sits alone on the beach as the crowd fades. The ex’s friend then appears, smiling at Huey, and they walk away together toward the boardwalk. The video ends with a family, who spent hours looking for an open space on the beach, finally locating one, only to be attacked by a shark underneath the sand that charges toward them.
The band appears in various scenes on the beach, one of which features them singing the chorus while buried in sand with only their heads visible. Comedian John Means appears as the Ball Toss Manager.
In an interview with the blog Noblemania, Cross recalled the challenges of playing Lewis’ irritable ex-girlfriend. “Looking angry at Huey Lewis was tough,” she said. “The whole filming was hilarious, one stunt after another and all the different boyfriends they gave me. When [Huey and I] were pretending to fight it was hard not to laugh.”
Video
Lyrics
I’ve been phoning night and morning
I heard you say tell him I’m not home
Now you’re confessing, but I’m still guessing
I’ve been your fool for so so long
Girl don’t lie, just to save my feelings
Girl don’t cry, and tell me nothing’s wrong
Girl don’t try to make up phony reasons
I’d rather leave than never believe
If this is it, please let me know
If this ain’t love, you’d better let me go
If this is it, I want to know
If this ain’t love baby, just say so
You’ve been thinking
And I’ve been drinking
We both know that it’s just not right
Now you’re pretending
That it’s not ending
You’ll say anything to avoid a fight
Girl don’t lie, and tell me that you need me
Girl don’t cry, and tell me nothing’s wrong
I’ll be alright one way or another
So let me go, or make we want to stay
If this is it, please let me know
If this ain’t love, you’d better let me go
If this is it, I want to know
If this ain’t love baby, just say so
If this is it, please let me know
If this ain’t love, you’d better let me go
If this is it, I want to know
If this ain’t love baby, just say so
If this is it, please let me know (I wanna know)
If this is it, please let me know (I gotta know), ooh
If this is it (you better let me go) please let me know, ooh (just say so)
If this is it, please let me know, ooh
If this is it, please let me know, ooh