Following a five-year hiatus after the 1982 album The Envoy, Warren Zevon returned in true form with his sixth studio album, Sentimental Hygiene. Released on August 27, 1987 in the US from his new record label Virgin, the album was considered a comeback of sorts, garnering critical acclaim in both Rolling Stone and Kerrang.

The last track of the first side, Reconsider Me, has since become a classic Zevon ballad and a staple of his future live shows. This beautiful, if not haunting ballad features familiar Zevon collaborators like Waddy Wachtel (acoustic guitar), Jail Winding (Keyboards) and harmony vocals from Don Henley of Eagles fame. According to Crystal Zevon, Warren's ex-wife and mother of his daughter Ariel, the song was written for her - an attempt to win her back.

Released in December 1987 as Sentimental Hygiene's second US single, Reconsider Me was available on 7" vinyl backed with The Factory. A 12" promo and a CD promo single were made available to radio stations and are now collector's items. The single version of Reconsider Me differs from the standard album version. The single features a new recording mixed by Shelly Yakus and an excellent piano performance from Roy Bittan. This single version is featured on all further compilations and is the better-known version of the two.

Warren's manager at the time, Andy Slater, loved the song and because of it was determined to get Warren a new record deal. He played the song to Jimmy Iovine who had Stevie Nicks, Chrissie Hynde and Fiona Apple all do their own versions.

In the liner notes to his 1996 CD collection I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Warren simply said of the song: "She did - too late. Written in a hotel room overlooking Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. Many covered it; none released it."

Stevie Nicks covered Reconsider Me for her 1984 album Mirror, Mirror, which was left unreleased. The song was again considered for her 1985 album Rock A Little, but was again passed over. Stevie Nicks' version of the song finally saw the light of day in 1998 as part of her 3 CD box set Enchanted.