About the Song

Another break-up song, as if another were needed, “You Shoulda Treated Me Better” would give voice to all those who take stock of themselves and choose self respect over insult in their relationships.

The photo above is a rare image of Taw Taw with short hair, captured as he was recording the guitar solo, on a Strat with whammy bar, as it happens.

You Shoulda Treated Me Better

Words and Music by Thomas Gannett

Love—it will get you through

many a dark night, when that love is true.

But true love needs true lovers, baby.

Nothing else is gonna do.

You need to hold on to the one you love

if you want love to hold on to you.

You watched me walk away

when what we had left could not make me stay.

Now if you know you’re lost without me, baby,

and you can’t see how you’ll make it through the day,

well I hope then, baby, you’ll recall

what I said to you that day.

You should have treated me better.

You should have known that there’s a line you’d best not cross.

Ya, baby, nothing lasts forever,

except that void where there was once love that you have lost.

Love is a fine thing indeed,

and for most of us, it’s all we really need.

But if you take love for granted, baby,

one day you’ll wake up and find it’s gone.

Then you can shake your head and cry your tear

and wonder how it all went so wrong.

You let a love so fine

slip away from you when you crossed that line.

There is no one to comfort you now, baby,

no one to hold you and whisper it’s ok.

But you can hold to these words I said

to you as I walked away.