The song featured throughout the third episode of The Last of Us is \u201cLong Long Time\u201d by Linda Ronstadt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Originally released in 1970, the recording became central to one of the television series’ most emotional stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The episode follows Bill and Frank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two men who find love during the aftermath of a devastating global pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At first, the recording appears during a quiet piano scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then it returns near the ending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song helps communicate something the characters struggle to express directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And its use introduced Ronstadt’s music to an enormous new audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bill and Frank are spending time together after meeting for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bill is played by Nick Offerman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frank is played by Murray Bartlett.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frank notices a piano in Bill’s home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He begins exploring the sheet music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually he finds \u201cLong Long Time\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He attempts to perform it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bill becomes uncomfortable and takes over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then something changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bill begins singing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The performance reveals emotional vulnerability that he has spent years hiding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The moment becomes central to their relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linda Ronstadt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The American singer released the recording in 1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It appeared on her album Silk Purse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronstadt became internationally famous through her powerful voice and recordings drawing from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
folk<\/p>\n\n\n\n
country<\/p>\n\n\n\n
rock<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and traditional pop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLong Long Time\u201d became one of her important early hits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It demonstrated her ability to communicate emotional vulnerability through relatively restrained songwriting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gary White.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s an important distinction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronstadt’s performance made the recording famous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But she didn’t write the composition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
White created the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronstadt interpreted it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The difference between songwriting and performance becomes particularly relevant when a recording experiences a revival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original composition and the specific recorded performance both contribute to the final listening experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unrequited love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The narrator deeply loves somebody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the relationship doesn’t provide the emotional connection she wants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She understands that moving on may be necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet the feelings remain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song explores the idea that emotional attachment doesn’t disappear simply because a relationship isn’t working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time may help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the narrator isn’t convinced it will remove the pain completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That makes the recording particularly suitable for a story about people who have spent years protecting themselves from emotional vulnerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the writing explores longing and loneliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Series co-creator Craig Mazin wanted a recording that communicated those emotions without feeling too obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He eventually discovered Ronstadt’s song through a recommendation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The choice became important because Bill initially appears completely comfortable living alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has built a protected world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everything is organised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He doesn’t need anybody else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least, that’s what he believes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song reveals that his emotional life is considerably more complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the performance allows Bill to communicate something he cannot easily say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The character isn’t presented as a professional singer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His voice is restrained and emotionally exposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s what makes the scene effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A polished performance might have sounded less believable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, the singing becomes almost a confession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frank understands what Bill is revealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The audience does too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music allows the two characters to connect before they’ve learned how to express their feelings directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the song becomes a symbol of the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The episode covers a substantial period of Bill and Frank’s lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their romance develops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They build a home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Experience difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grow older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And eventually face the end of their time together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The title therefore works on several levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It refers to the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it also refers to the duration of their relationship and the emotional importance of the years they share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Joel and Ellie discover what happened to Bill and Frank, they leave in a vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recording plays again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That gives the music a completely different emotional weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier, it represented the beginning of a relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now it represents its memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The composition hasn’t changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The audience’s understanding has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s one of the most effective uses of recurring music in television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because it presents love as something that changes the meaning of survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bill begins as somebody primarily concerned with staying alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His home is designed around protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Frank introduces another possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Life can involve more than simply avoiding danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can involve art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Companionship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And emotional risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song helps communicate that transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The episode premiered in January 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following its broadcast, Ronstadt’s recording experienced a dramatic increase in streaming activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reports documented an increase of approximately 4,900% in American Spotify streams shortly after the episode aired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That demonstrated the power of television soundtracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recording more than fifty years old could suddenly become one of the most discussed songs online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronstadt subsequently discussed the attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was pleased that listeners were discovering the song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recording’s resurgence also brought renewed attention to songwriter Gary White.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s an important part of soundtrack revivals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The audience may initially discover a song through one emotional scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then begin exploring the original performers and writers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The television series expands Bill and Frank’s story considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original game’s treatment of the characters is different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronstadt’s recording became particularly associated with the television adaptation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That gave the episode its own musical identity rather than simply reproducing every element of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song also works because it communicates emotions without requiring knowledge of the original source material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Folk rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Country-influenced pop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Singer-songwriter music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The arrangement is relatively restrained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That gives considerable space to Ronstadt’s vocal performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recording belongs to an era when emotionally direct songwriting was becoming particularly important within American popular music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linda Ronstadt \u2013 You’re No Good<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Linda Ronstadt \u2013 Blue Bayou<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joni Mitchell \u2013 A Case of You<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carole King \u2013 So Far Away<\/p>\n\n\n\n
James Taylor \u2013 Fire and Rain<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gordon Lightfoot \u2013 If You Could Read My Mind<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fleetwood Mac \u2013 Landslide<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bonnie Raitt \u2013 I Can’t Make You Love Me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These recordings explore different kinds of emotional vulnerability through classic singer-songwriter music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLong Long Time\u201d by Linda Ronstadt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Written by Gary White.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Released in 1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And transformed into the emotional centre of Bill and Frank’s story more than fifty years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recording originally described love that wasn’t fully returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The television series gives it another meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes finding the right person changes your entire life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And sometimes one old song is enough to explain that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The song featured throughout the third episode of The Last of Us is \u201cLong Long Time\u201d by Linda Ronstadt. Originally released in 1970, the recording became central to one of the television series’ most emotional stories. The episode follows Bill and Frank. Two men who find love during the aftermath of a devastating global pandemic. At first, the recording appears during a quiet piano scene. Then it returns near the ending. The song helps communicate something the characters struggle to express directly. And its use introduced Ronstadt’s music to an enormous new audience. What happens during the piano scene? Bill…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2148,3301],"coauthors":[2],"class_list":["post-5367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-explained","tag-linda-ronstadt"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n