About the song
There’s a kind of magic that happens when a truly gifted interpreter of song meets the right material — and Linda Ronstadt – Just One Look is a shining example of that rare alchemy. Originally a hit for Doris Troy back in 1963, this rhythm and blues classic found fresh life more than a decade later when Linda Ronstadt, already celebrated as one of the great voices of the 1970s, included it on her 1978 album Living in the USA. What makes her rendition particularly compelling is how effortlessly she manages to bridge the gap between eras, genres, and moods, turning a nostalgic pop-soul gem into something both warmly familiar and unmistakably her own.
By the late ’70s, Linda Ronstadt had firmly established herself as a powerhouse in American music — a singer capable of moving between country, rock, and pop with unerring taste and emotional clarity. Her version of Just One Look doesn’t attempt to replicate the original; rather, she reimagines it through her own unique musical sensibility. There’s a buoyancy to her performance, a bright, open-throated confidence that lifts the song’s simple lyrics — about the jolt of instant attraction — into something almost mythic. When she sings, “Just one look, and I fell so hard,” you believe her. You hear the ache, the thrill, and that youthful recklessness that love inspires.
Musically, her cover is polished and radio-friendly, featuring tight arrangements and a crisp, mid-tempo rhythm that complements her vocal phrasing beautifully. But what lingers most is the tone of her voice — rich, warm, and completely engaged. It’s the sound of an artist at the height of her interpretive powers. Linda Ronstadt – Just One Look is more than a cover; it’s a reminder of her rare gift: the ability to take a well-known song and make it feel like a personal confession or a newfound joy. In doing so, she not only honors the past but refreshes it, offering something enduring for both longtime fans and new listeners alike.
Video
Lyrics
Just one look
And I fell so ha-a-ard
In love, with you, oh, oh
I found out
How good it fe-e-els
To have your love, oh, oh
Say you will
Will be mi-i-ine
Forever and always, oh, oh
Just one look
And I knew-ew-eww
That you
Were my only one, oh, oh, oh, oh
I thought I was dreaming
But I was wrong, oh yeah, yeah
Ah, but I’m gonna keep on scheming
‘Til I can make you
Make you my own
So, you see
I really ca-a-are
Without you
I’m nothing, oh, oh
Just one look
And I know-ow-oww
I’ll get you someday, oh, oh
Just one look
That’s all it took
Ha, just one look
That’s all it took
Whoa, just one look
That’s all it, whoa, baby (just one look, that’s all it took)
You know I love you baby (just one look, that’s all it took)
I’ll build my world around you (just one look, that’s all it took)
Come on baby (just one look, that’s all it took)
