Originally Posted by
Ky Fried Redleg
88. Ask most any hardcore fan of the band and they will list this song as one of the band's top 3 songs of all time. That's some pretty healthy respect for a song that never charted on Billboard's Hot 100. In fact, the song was never even released as a single. It was considered a "deep cut" or album track, though the song is the title track of the album it first appeared on. It was the very first song written by the band's main songwriting tandem. When the words to the song was FIRST penned back in 1968, the it was about a friend named Leo, and the original opening line was , "Leo, my God, why don't you come to your senses."
The song has a reprise version on the original album called "Doolin- Dalton." Written in the style of old Stephen Foster songs, the song was never a hit, according to its author, until Linda Ronstadt recorded her version of the song. While the song never charted on Billboard's Hot 100, it did peak at #20 on the Rock Digital Songs chart, but not until 2016 , and after the death of one of the band's founding member's and a co-writer of the song. It is a beloved classic of fans of the band and is a staple on 70's rock radio. Not bad for a song that was a charting failure.