Introduction
There are songs that entertain, songs that comfort, and then there are songs that wound. In 1970, Linda Ronstadt released “Long, Long Time”, and the world was not ready for the emotional devastation it carried. To this day, many argue it’s not just a performance—it’s a confession of raw, unbearable heartbreak that left millions stunned.
When Ronstadt stepped into the studio, she wasn’t just singing words on a page. She was bleeding. Every trembling note, every quiver in her voice sounded as if it was pulled directly from the soul of a woman who had lived through love’s most brutal betrayal. Critics at the time called it too painful, too real, a ballad so drenched in sorrow it could stop you in your tracks. And they weren’t wrong.
“Long, Long Time” wasn’t the hit you played at a party. This was the record you played when love had already chewed you up and spit you out, when you were sitting alone at 3 a.m. with nothing left but your regrets. It was the kind of honesty that made people uncomfortable—because it mirrored their own hidden wounds.
What’s even more shocking is how this single track transformed Linda Ronstadt from a rising voice into one of America’s most haunting interpreters of heartbreak. It didn’t rely on flashy production or radio-friendly hooks. It relied on pure, unfiltered pain—and the courage to put it on display.
Decades later, “Long, Long Time” is still regarded as one of the most powerful heartbreak songs ever recorded. It resurfaces again and again—on soundtracks, in tributes, and most recently, sparking viral waves online—reminding new generations that love’s cruelty has no expiration date.
Linda Ronstadt didn’t just sing a song—she carved a scar into the heart of popular music. And that scar, like the title promises, will last a long, long time.
Video
Lyrics
Love will abide
Take things in stride
Sounds like good advice
But there’s no one at my side
And time washes clean love’s wounds unseen
That’s what someone told me
But I don’t know what it means
‘Cause I’ve done everything I know
To try and make you mine
And I think I’m gonna love you
For a long long time
Caught in my fears
Blinking back the tears
I can’t say you hurt me
When you never let me near
And I never drew one response from you
All the while you fell all over girls you never knew
‘Cause I’ve done everything I know
To try and make you mine
And I think it’s gonna hurt me
For a long long time
Wait for the day you’ll go away
Knowing that you warned me
Of the price I’d have to pay
And life’s full of flaws
Who knows the cause?
Living in the memory of a love that never was
‘Cause I’ve done everything I know
To try and change your mind
And I think I’m gonna miss you
For a long long time
‘Cause I’ve done everything I know
To try and make you mine
And I think I’m gonna love you
For a long long time
