«Things Have Gone to Pieces» is a song written by Leon Payne and originally recorded by country music artist George Jones. It was Jones’ first single after signing with the Musicor label and spent a total of twenty-one weeks on the Billboard survey, peaking at #9 in 1965. It was a solo that Jones released on his 1965 album with Gene Pitney, For the First Time! Two Great Stars – George Jones and Gene Pitney.

The song lists a litany of negative events that have befallen the narrator since his lover has left him. Despite its comically melodramatic premise, Jones delivers one of his most bluesy, soulful vocals that give the words resonance. In his 2016 Jones memoir The Grand Tour, biographer Rich Kienzle asserts, «George’s peerless approach elevated this simple ballad to a masterpiece that became his first solo hit on Musicor in the spring of 1965. Today it remains a high point of his six years with the label.» Merle Haggard would record the song for the second Jones/Haggard duet album Kickin’ Out the Footlights…Again in 2006.

Released March 13, 1965
Genre Country
Length 2:56
Label Musicor
Songwriter(s) Leon Payne
Producer(s) Pappy Daily

George Jones – Things Have Gone To Pieces lyrics

Oh, the faucet started
Drippin’ in the kitchen
And last night your picture
Fell down from the wall
Today the boss said «Sorry,
I can’t use you anymore.»
And tonight the light bulb
Went Out in the hall

[Chorus:]
Things have gone to pieces since you left me
Nothing turns out half-right now it seems
There ain’t nothing in my pocket,
But three nickels and a dime
But I’m holding to the pieces of my dream

Somebody threw a baseball
Through my window
And the arm fell off
My fav’rite chair, again
The man called me today and said,
«He’d haul my things away
If I didn’t get my payments made by ten.»

[Chorus:]
Things have gone to pieces since you left me
Nothing turns out half-right now it seems
There ain’t nothing in my pocket,
But three nickels and a dime
But I’m holding to the pieces of my dream…