In the critically acclaimed new episode of The Last Of Us, we leave protagonists Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) behind for an extended period of time for an in-depth backstory on Joel’s smuggling partners Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray). Bartlett) presented in a way that did not exist in the video game template.
We see how a moving love story develops between the two men in the midst of the mushroom apocalypse, which first begins when they eat together and then especially at the piano. After Frank tries rather miserably, Bill gives one emotional rendition of the song “Long, Long Time” by American country rock singer Linda Ronstadt to the best. Not least because the song clearly means a lot to him, he finally softens Frank’s heart – and the audience’s too.
This even led to a real rush to “Long, Long Time” on streaming provider Spotify after the third episode of “Last Of Us” aired. As Spotify itself announced, the song was played no less than 4,900 percent (!) more often in the US than the week before:
This brings back memories of the already iconic upside-down escape in Season 4 of Stranger Things, accompanied by Running Up That Hill, which gave the Kate Bush hit a second life.
That is why “Long, Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt was chosen
But why did you actually choose “Long, Long Time”? To answer that, showrunner Craig Mazin has Im official companion podcast to “The Last Of Us” gave a little insight into the number-finding phase for the all-important scene of the current episode. So he would have looking for a song that expresses a deep heartbreak and an unfulfilled longingwithout being too cliche and played up and down all over the place.
Since Mazin himself could not find anything that met these requirements, the creators of “Chernobyl” turned to his friend, Broadway expert Seth Rudetzky, who describes Mazin in the said podcast as a walking music encyclopedia. And sure enough, within seconds Rudetzky would have suggested “Long, Long Time” by the now 76-year-old Ronstadt, who retired in 2011. When it came out in 1970, it stayed on the US charts for a long time and also earned Linda Ronstadt a Grammy nomination, but after that it didn’t become as big an evergreen as, say, the “Running Up” featured in “Strange Things “. that hill”.
And theme-wise too, Rudetzky’s suggestion was just perfect in Mazin’s eyes, to have a piece of soulful music that Bill and Frank could develop a deep connection with in a very short period of time. It’s not for nothing that the makers of “The Last Of Us” even named the episode after the song that sounds again at the very end – then in the original version by Linda Ronstadt herself – and thus rounds off the highlight episode perfectly.