I used to think Linda Ronstadt was at her bravest only when she sang full-throated and loud. Then I heard “I Ain’t Always Been Faithful.” Tucked quietly into her self-titled 1972 album Linda Ronstadt, the Eric Andersen song reveals a different kind of courage — the kind that doesn’t raise its voice. The title suggests drama, maybe even defiance. But Linda delivers it without shine or self-defense. She doesn’t plead for mercy. She doesn’t dress the truth up. She simply lays it down, plain and steady, like finally setting something heavy aside. There’s no performance here — just a human voice choosing honesty over pride. And in that moment, the confession feels strangely light. Not proud. Not polished. Just real — and somehow, that’s what stays with you.
admin “I Ain’t Always Been Faithful” is a confession sung without theatrical guilt—admitting wandering footsteps, yet insisting the heart kept returning to the same true name. There’s a particular kind of…