About the song
Few voices in American music possess the emotive clarity and timeless appeal of **Linda Ronstadt**, and nowhere is that voice more achingly beautiful than on her 1977 rendition of **Blue Bayou**. Originally penned by **Roy Orbison** and **Joe Melson** in the early 1960s, the song already had a haunting, dreamlike quality in its original form. But when **Linda Ronstadt** breathed new life into it over a decade later, she not only paid homage to Orbison’s melancholy vision—she made it entirely her own.
At the time of its release, **Blue Bayou** became one of **Ronstadt’s** most commercially successful singles, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a defining moment in her career. But the song’s real power lies not in its chart position, but in the way **Ronstadt** uses her voice to create a place of deep emotional longing. With its gentle rhythm, subtle country overtones, and orchestral swells, **Blue Bayou** transports the listener to a place not only of physical escape, but of nostalgic yearning—for simpler times, for lost love, for peace of mind.
The brilliance of **Linda Ronstadt – Blue Bayou** lies in her ability to evoke these emotions without ever slipping into sentimentality. Her voice is steady, clear, and full of grace, even as it trembles on the edge of heartbreak. When she sings, “I’m going back someday, come what may, to **Blue Bayou**,” there’s a conviction in her tone that speaks to the universal human desire to return—to return to a place of safety, to a memory that comforts, to a version of oneself unburdened by the complexities of life.
This song is not just a cover; it is a reclamation. By the mid-1970s, **Linda Ronstadt** had already proven herself as a powerful interpreter of other people’s songs, but **Blue Bayou** solidified her status as a storyteller in her own right. She doesn’t just sing the lyrics—she inhabits them, breathing into them a depth and vulnerability that make the song feel both personal and universal.
To listen to **Linda Ronstadt – Blue Bayou** today is to be reminded of the power of simplicity, of a well-crafted melody paired with a voice that knows how to tell the truth. It is, in every sense, a classic—an intimate portrait of longing that has lost none of its luster with time.
Video
Lyrics
I feel so bad I got a worried mind
I’m so lonesome all the time
Since I left my baby behind
On Blue Bayou
Saving nickles, saving dimes
Working til the sun don’t shine
Looking forward to happier times
On Blue Bayou
I’m going back someday
Come what may
To Blue Bayou
Where the folks are fine
And the world is mine
On Blue Bayou
Where those fishing boats
With their sails afloat
If I could only see
That familiar sunrise
Through sleepy eyes
How happy I’d be
Gonna see my baby again
Gonna be with some of my friends
Maybe I’ll feel better again
On Blue Bayou
Saving nickles saving dimes
Working til the sun don’t shine
Looking forward to happier times
On Blue Bayou
I’m going back someday
Come what may
To Blue Bayou
Where the folks are fine
And the world is mine
On Blue Bayou
Where those fishing boats
With their sails afloat
If I could only see
That familiar sunrise
Through sleepy eyes
How happy I’d be
Oh that boy of mine
By my side
The silver moon
And the evening tide
Oh some sweet day
Gonna take away
This hurting inside
Well I’ll never be blue
My dreams come true
On Blue Bayou
