Linda Ronstadt – I Can’t Let Go

About The Song

“I Can’t Let Go” was released by Linda Ronstadt as a single on June 10, 1980, via Asylum Records. It appears as track two on her album Mad Love, issued February 26, 1980. Produced by Peter Asher at The Sound Factory in Los Angeles, the track runs 2:41 and features a driving rock arrangement with prominent electric guitars, tight rhythm section, and Ronstadt’s powerful, pleading vocal that builds emotional urgency from the first verse.
The song was co-written by Al Gorgoni and Chip Taylor (who also wrote “Wild Thing”). It was first recorded by Evie Sands in 1965 on Blue Cat Records, then became a hit for The Hollies in 1966, reaching No. 2 in the UK and No. 42 in the US. Ronstadt’s version brought it back to mainstream radio with a crisp 1980s rock edge while preserving the original’s desperate tone.
The lyrics express the torment of clinging to a failing relationship: “Oh, I try and I try but I can’t say goodbye / I can’t let go, I can’t let go.” The narrator admits to sleepless nights and futile attempts to move on—“I’m broken down, I’m a-tired of living / I can’t let go”—while the chorus repeats the title with raw insistence, turning vulnerability into an anthemic plea. The melody’s insistent beat and soaring chorus amplify the sense of emotional helplessness.
The single climbed to No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 27 on the Cash Box Top 100 in the summer of 1980, spending several weeks on both charts. It also reached No. 44 on Canada’s RPM chart. The B-side was Neil Young’s “Look Out for My Love.” Though not the album’s biggest hit (“Hurt So Bad” and “How Do I Make You” performed stronger), the track helped Mad Love achieve platinum status and extended Ronstadt’s run of rock-oriented success.
Ronstadt performed the song live on her 1980 tour, with a notable version captured at Television Center Studios in Hollywood on April 24, 1980, later released on the 2019 album Live in Hollywood. The track has appeared on compilations such as The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt and various anthologies, remaining a fan favorite for its intensity.

Video

Lyric

Oh I tried and I tried but I can’t say good-bye
Feel so bad baby
Oh it hurts me
When I think of how you love and desert me
I’m the broken-hearted toy you play with

You got me going
I need you baby
I can’t let go
And I want you baby
I gotta have all your love
I can’t let go

Though I’m just one of your lovers
And I know there are so many others
You do something strange to me baby

You got me going
I need you baby
I can’t let go
And I want you baby
I gotta have all your love
I can’t let go

Oh I tried and I tried but I can’t say good-bye
I know that it’s wrong and I should be so strong
But the thought of you gone
Makes me want to hold on

You got me going
I need you baby
I can’t let go
And I want you baby
I gotta have all your love
I can’t let go

You got me going
I need you baby
I can’t let go
And I want you baby
I gotta have all your love
I can’t let go

I can’t let go
I can’t let go
I can’t let go
I can’t let go
I can’t let go