You Better Treat Your Man Right

George Jones · Heartbreak Hotel - Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight [2011]

You better start to treatin' your man a little bit better

You better wear a smile when I come home and not a frown

You better give me everything I need in the line of lovin'

Or there'll be a day when your old sweet man won't be around.



Well, I work all day and a-half the night to please my baby

And when I come home I found the place turned upside down

I better find you there in bed asleep just like I left you

If I ain't mistaken there's a dirty little mouse been a-messin' around.



You better start to treatin' your man a little bit better

You better wear a smile when I come home and not a frown

You better give me everything I need in the line of lovin'

Or there'll be a day when the old sweet man won't be around.



--- Instrumental ---



Well, you was so nice and sweet and cute dear when I met you

You was daddy sweet little pet, so true and kind

Yeah, but since I brought you to this mean, old dirty city

Well it seems to me everybody pets you all the time



You better start to treatin' your man a little bit better

You better wear a smile when I come home and not a frown

You better give me everything I need in the line of lovin'

Or there'll be a day when your old sweet daddy won't be around.



Or there'll be a day when your old sweet daddy won't be around...

You Better Treat Your Man Right

George Jones delivers a quintessential country ballad on this recording, a track that exemplifies his mastery of the heartbreak genre. The song explores themes of marital fidelity and the emotional toll of neglect, delivered with the raw vocal texture that defined his career. Released as part of the 2011 compilation Heartbreak Hotel - Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight, the recording captures the melancholic atmosphere characteristic of Jones's later work. It stands alongside other notable tracks from his discography, such as I Want to Grow Old With You and Mr. Fool, reinforcing his reputation as a storyteller who could convey deep personal sorrow through his music. The song remains a staple in the country canon, reflecting the enduring appeal of Jones's ability to articulate the complexities of love and loss.