About the song
Few artists have ever bridged the gap between raw vocal power and tender emotional resonance quite like **Linda Ronstadt**. With her unmistakable voice—at once commanding and vulnerable—Ronstadt carved out a space in American music that transcended genre and generation. In her rendition of **“Just One Look,”** originally made famous by Doris Troy in 1963, Ronstadt doesn’t merely cover the song—she reclaims it, injecting her own blend of Californian cool, ‘70s rock swagger, and emotional clarity.
**“Just One Look”** is a song that lives on simplicity. Its lyrics are uncomplicated, its structure direct, and its hook instantly memorable. But under Ronstadt’s careful interpretation, this simplicity becomes a strength. Her phrasing—so crisp and confident—adds a sense of longing that wasn’t as prominent in the earlier versions. With **Linda Ronstadt – Just One Look**, what was once a bouncy pop-soul number becomes something more grounded and urgent. She sings not just as a young woman smitten, but as someone who understands the high stakes of heartbreak and the fragile hope that follows infatuation.
Musically, the production on Ronstadt’s version, released in 1978 as part of her *Living in the U.S.A.* album, is sleek yet warm. The instrumentation leans into rock with polished guitar lines and well-placed backing vocals, but never at the expense of emotional nuance. That’s the beauty of **Linda Ronstadt – Just One Look**—it retains the accessibility of a radio hit while speaking to the life experience of a more mature listener.
For older audiences, this track may feel like a time capsule—back to a moment when music balanced pop sensibilities with deep emotional currents. Ronstadt doesn’t oversell it; she simply *inhabits* the song. And in doing so, she reminds us that sometimes, just one look really *can* be all it takes.
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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)
