The song Ellie sings to Dina in The Last of Us Part II is \u201cTake On Me\u201d, originally by Norwegian pop band a-ha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Ellie’s version sounds completely different from the famous 1980s recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of bright synthesizers and energetic pop production, she plays a quiet acoustic-guitar arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scene takes place inside a music shop during the Seattle section of the 2020 game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It became one of the story’s most memorable emotional moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the same song later appeared in HBO’s television adaptation, where Bella Ramsey performed the acoustic version as Ellie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A-ha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Norwegian band consists of Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen and P\u00e5l Waaktaar-Savoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their 1985 recording became an enormous international hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s particularly famous for its synthesizer melody and innovative music video combining live action with pencil-sketch animation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original song is energetic and uplifting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That makes Ellie’s restrained acoustic interpretation especially interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The melody remains recognisable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the emotional atmosphere changes completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside a music shop in Seattle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ellie and Dina are exploring the city when they discover the store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A guitar provides an opportunity for a rare peaceful moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ellie begins playing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she performs \u201cTake On Me\u201d for Dina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scene stands out because much of the surrounding game involves danger, violence and uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a short period, the characters are simply two people enjoying music together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashley Johnson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She provides Ellie’s voice and performance in the video games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johnson performed the song for The Last of Us Part II.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The creative team wanted the singing to feel natural rather than like a professional concert performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That required an interesting adjustment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Johnson worked with a vocal coach during production, but the team eventually wanted her performance to sound slightly less polished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ellie is a fictional teenager playing guitar for somebody she loves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The moment needed to feel intimate and believable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bella Ramsey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ramsey plays Ellie in HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The television series recreated the guitar-shop moment during its second season in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isabela Merced plays Dina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scene retains the emotional purpose of the original game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it belongs to the television production’s separate interpretation of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means there are now several important recordings connected with the same composition: a-ha’s original, Ashley Johnson’s game performance and Bella Ramsey’s television performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because it creates a moment of warmth inside a difficult story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Game director Neil Druckmann explained that the song helped establish the connection between Ellie and Dina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lyrics also fit the characters’ circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They are living in a world where ordinary relationships are constantly threatened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A song about taking a chance on somebody becomes particularly meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The musical contrast is equally important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A bright 1980s pop hit becomes something intimate and fragile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The creative team initially worried about obtaining the necessary rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTake On Me\u201d was already a globally famous recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Druckmann explained that his co-writer Halley Gross had a personal connection with the family of a-ha guitarist P\u00e5l Waaktaar-Savoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That helped the production establish contact and obtain permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s an unusual behind-the-scenes story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the game’s most emotionally important musical moments depended partly on a personal connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because production affects how listeners interpret music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A-ha’s original is driven by synthesizers and a strong dance-pop rhythm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ellie’s version removes most of those elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The melody becomes the focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her vocal sounds vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the guitar creates a much smaller musical environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The result feels like a personal conversation rather than an international pop hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The underlying composition hasn’t changed, but its emotional identity has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music is an important part of her character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another significant recording is \u201cFuture Days\u201d by Pearl Jam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That song is closely connected with Joel and his relationship with Ellie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The game uses music to communicate emotions that the characters sometimes struggle to express through ordinary conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That makes the guitar much more than an interactive object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It becomes part of the storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, the guitar-shop moment can be missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Players need to explore the relevant location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s an important difference between interactive games and films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a film, every viewer experiences the same musical sequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a game, the player may discover the moment through exploration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That can make it feel particularly personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You found the guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You chose to interact with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the character responded with music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The original song is broadly about romantic attraction and the uncertainty of pursuing a relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The narrator wants somebody to take a chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There’s excitement but also vulnerability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That interpretation fits Ellie and Dina particularly well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their relationship is developing under difficult circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The song communicates hope without pretending their situation is easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try Jos\u00e9 Gonz\u00e1lez’s \u201cHeartbeats\u201d, Iron & Wine’s \u201cSuch Great Heights\u201d, Phoebe Bridgers’ \u201cFriday I’m in Love\u201d, Daughter’s \u201cYouth\u201d, Bon Iver’s \u201cSkinny Love\u201d and Sleeping at Last’s \u201cChasing Cars\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These recordings reinterpret pop or rock songwriting through restrained arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n