Introduction
When the world thinks of Linda Ronstadt, they remember the voice that could command an arena, the woman who made country, rock, and pop bend to her will. But hidden inside her long list of classics lies one of the most controversial, dangerous, and brutally honest tracks of the 1970s: “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.”
Originally penned by Warren Zevon, this was not the kind of song polite society wanted America’s sweetheart to sing. It was dark. It was violent. It was filled with raw sexual politics that made record executives nervous and critics sharpen their knives. Yet Ronstadt, fearless as ever, took the song and transformed it into something even more explosive—a mainstream hit that forced the public to confront realities they weren’t ready for.
At first listen, “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” sounds like a catchy rock anthem. But listen closer, and you find a story dripping with razor-sharp irony: a narrator half-laughing, half-crying about destructive relationships, abuse, and survival. It was a dangerous cocktail—too dark for radio, too real for pop charts. And still, Ronstadt’s version stormed through the music industry, proving once again that her power was not just in her voice, but in her fearlessness.
For fans who adored her velvet ballads and soaring love songs, this track was a shock. Linda wasn’t just the beautiful woman on magazine covers—she was the one willing to sing what others wouldn’t dare touch. “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” became an anthem of defiance, a battle cry disguised as rock ’n’ roll fun.
Looking back now, it’s hard to believe that in the late ’70s, a female artist could take such a raw, confrontational song and turn it into a charting success. But that’s exactly what Ronstadt did. She shattered expectations, rewrote the rules, and in doing so, cemented her place as one of the most fearless voices in American music history.
Because sometimes, the most shocking songs are the ones that tell the truth.
Video
Lyrics
Well, I lay my head on the railroad track
Waiting on the double E
But the train don’t run by here no more
Poor, poor pitiful me
Poor, poor pitiful me
Poor, poor pitiful me
Oh, these boys won’t let me be
Lord, have mercy on me
Woah-woah, is me
Well, I met a man out in Hollywood
Now I ain’t naming names
Well, he really worked me over good
Just like Jesse James
Yes, he really worked me over good
He was a credit to his gender
Put me through some changes, Lord
Sort of like a waring blender
Poor, poor pitiful me
Poor, poor pitiful me
Oh, these boys won’t let me be
Lord, have mercy on me
Woah-woah, is me
Well, I met a boy in the Vieux Carres
Down in Yokohama
Picked me up and he threw me down
He said, “Please don’t hurt me, mama”
Poor, poor pitiful me
Poor, poor pitiful me
Oh, these boys won’t let me be
Lord, have mercy on me
Woah-woah, is me
Poor, poor, poor me
Poor, poor pitiful me
Poor, poor, poor me
Poor, poor pitiful me
Poor, poor, poor me
Poor, poor pitiful me
