Released: November 23, 1993
Songwriter: Jimmy Webb
Producer: Linda Ronstadt George Massenburg
Written by Jimmy Webb
Copyright 1986 White Oak Songs (ASCAP)
Can't you see he doesn't care
He likes to play with you that's all
He's waiting on someone else's call
He's playing it cool
Why's it so hard to reach you?
Why are you still out there
Beating your heart against the wall
Waiting for Jericho to fall
You hard-headed fool
Didn't your mama teach you
Anything at all
You can't treat the wrong man right
Or change a devil to an angel overnight
He'll wreck all your best laid plans for spite
You can't treat the wrong man right
You can't treat the right man wrong
When you're out on the town
Acting mean and head-strong
He'll sit home and wait for you all night long
You can't treat the right man wrong
I heard it on the telephone
A woman was whispering in my ear
And though I was trying not to hear
The message came through
She was someone who knew you
I guess she told me everything
I wasn't listening anyway
I know she had a lot to say
But nothing was clear
I only remember her voice
Above the sound of the pinball
Saying to me
You can't treat the wrong man right
Or change a devil to an angel overnight
He'll steal all your love and and fly by night
You can't treat the wrong man right
You can't treat the right man wrong
You can run all the way from here to Hong Kong
And he'll be waiting when you come back in sight
You can't treat the right man wrong
You can't treat the wrong man right
---------------------------------------------------------
GUITARS: Dean Parks
DRUMS: Russ Kunkel
BASS: Leland Sklar
ACOUSTIC PIANO: Matt Rollings
SYNTHESIZER AND B-3: Robbie Buchanan
BACKGROUND VOCALS: Alex Brown, Mortonette Jenkins, Marlena Jeter
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND VOCALS: Linda Ronstadt
Copyright 1986 White Oak Songs (ASCAP)
Can't you see he doesn't care
He likes to play with you that's all
He's waiting on someone else's call
He's playing it cool
Why's it so hard to reach you?
Why are you still out there
Beating your heart against the wall
Waiting for Jericho to fall
You hard-headed fool
Didn't your mama teach you
Anything at all
You can't treat the wrong man right
Or change a devil to an angel overnight
He'll wreck all your best laid plans for spite
You can't treat the wrong man right
You can't treat the right man wrong
When you're out on the town
Acting mean and head-strong
He'll sit home and wait for you all night long
You can't treat the right man wrong
I heard it on the telephone
A woman was whispering in my ear
And though I was trying not to hear
The message came through
She was someone who knew you
I guess she told me everything
I wasn't listening anyway
I know she had a lot to say
But nothing was clear
I only remember her voice
Above the sound of the pinball
Saying to me
You can't treat the wrong man right
Or change a devil to an angel overnight
He'll steal all your love and and fly by night
You can't treat the wrong man right
You can't treat the right man wrong
You can run all the way from here to Hong Kong
And he'll be waiting when you come back in sight
You can't treat the right man wrong
You can't treat the wrong man right
---------------------------------------------------------
GUITARS: Dean Parks
DRUMS: Russ Kunkel
BASS: Leland Sklar
ACOUSTIC PIANO: Matt Rollings
SYNTHESIZER AND B-3: Robbie Buchanan
BACKGROUND VOCALS: Alex Brown, Mortonette Jenkins, Marlena Jeter
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND VOCALS: Linda Ronstadt
more tracks from the album
From the albums
- Winter Light (1993)
- Tunesmith: The Songs of Jimmy Webb (2003)
Linda Ronstadt popular songs
- Blue Bayou
- You’re No Good
- Don’t Know Much
- Willin’
- Tumbling Dice
- Somewhere Out There
- Long, Long Time
- When Will I Be Loved
- I Never Will Marry
- Por un amor
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- En Mi Soledad
- Icy Blue Heart
- You Can’t Treat the Wrong Man Right
- White Rhythm & Blues
- Just One Look
- My Hero
- La calandria
- Heartbreak Kind
- Walk On
- Cost of Love
- When I Grow Too Old to Dream
- Lightning Bar Blues
- Hey Mister, That’s Me up on the Jukebox