Linda Ronstadt – It Doesn’t Matter Anymore

About The Song

“It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” was released by Linda Ronstadt as a single on March 25, 1975, via Capitol Records. It appeared as track two on her breakthrough album Heart Like a Wheel, issued November 19, 1974. Produced by Peter Asher at The Sound Factory in Los Angeles, the song runs 3:26 and delivers a gentle country-rock arrangement with acoustic guitar, light pedal steel, and tight harmonies that gave the track a warm, reflective feel.
Written by Paul Anka in 1958 specifically for Buddy Holly, the piece was one of Holly’s final recordings and became a posthumous UK No. 1 in 1959. Ronstadt’s version transformed the pop ballad into a more intimate country-leaning statement, fitting perfectly with the album’s mix of covers and originals.
The lyrics portray a resigned breakup: “There you go, baby, here am I / Well, you left me here so I could sit and cry / Golly gee, what have you done to me? / Well, I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.” A second verse recalls happier times—“Do you remember, baby, last September / How you held me tight each and every night?”—before circling back to indifference. The tone shifts pain into quiet acceptance, delivered with Ronstadt’s signature emotional restraint.
The single reached No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 20 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and No. 54 on the Hot Country Songs chart in the fall of 1975. It served as a companion release to the stronger-charting “When Will I Be Loved” (the A-side on some pressings), helping extend the album’s momentum. Heart Like a Wheel topped the Billboard 200 and the Country Albums chart, marking Ronstadt’s first No. 1 album in both formats.
The track has appeared on numerous Ronstadt compilations and reissues, including The Essential Linda Ronstadt. While not as dominant as the album’s other singles, it remains a fan favorite for its understated melancholy and crisp production. Critics noted how Ronstadt’s phrasing and the country arrangement gave new life to Anka’s melody, turning a 1950s pop standard into a 1970s staple of graceful detachment.

Video

Lyric

There you go and baby here am I
Well you left me here so I could sit and cry
Golly gee what have you done to me
Well I guess it doesn’t matter anymore

Do you remember baby last September
How you held me tight each and every night
Oh baby how you drove me crazy
But I guess it doesn’t matter anymore

There’s no use in me a-crying
I’ve done everything now I’m sick of trying
I’ve thrown away my nights
Wasted all my days over you

Now you go your way baby and I’ll go mine
Now and forever till the end of time
I’ll find somebody new and baby
We’ll say we’re through
And you won’t matter anymore

There’s no use in me a-crying
I’ve done everything now I’m sick of trying
I’ve thrown away my nights
Wasted all my days over you

Now you go your way baby and I’ll go mine
Now and forever till the end of time
And I’ll find somebody new and baby
We’ll say we’re through
And you won’t matter anymore
No you won’t matter anymore
You won’t matter anymore, ooh