Music is a rarity in “The Last of Us.”
After a fungal outbreak destroys modern civilization in 2003, recording new music surely isn’t high on the list of priorities, or possibilities.
In present-day, music is revealed as a means of communication between smugglers: ’60s songs mean nothing in; ’70s songs mean new stock; ’80s songs mean trouble. It’s a code devised by survivalists Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) to share with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Tess (Anna Torv).
But Bill and Frank have a special song of their own. Read on to learn more:
How Do Bill and Frank Meet?
After the 2003 outbreak, Bill lived alone, barricading himself in his home and setting traps around the perimeter.
One day, Frank fell into one of Bill’s traps. Bill rescued Frank and after his initial suspicions were quelled, invited him for a hot shower and meal.
How Do Bill and Frank Bond?
After dinner, Frank says he’ll be on his way. But before he does, he spots a piano in Bill’s living room and asks Bill if he can play it.
After rummaging through some sheet music, which includes the opera “Tales of Hoffman” and “The Best of Linda Ronstadt,” Frank flips through the latter and finds his “favorite,” Ronstadt’s hit “Long Long Time.”
Frank performs it, which triggers an emotional reaction in Bill, who tells him “not this song”. Bill then performs a more melancholy version, and the two men connect over love and loss. They embrace and later make love.
Who Is Linda Ronstadt?
Ronstadt is an American folk rock singer from the early ’70s.
“Long Long Time” was one of her hit singles, and yes, that “The Best of Linda Ronstadt” songbook really does exist and can be purchased online. But if the 2005 publish date is accurate, it would’ve actually been published AFTER the outbreak (and would be an anachronism).
The song peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100, and earned Ronstadt a Grammy nomination in 1971.
The opening lyrics, which Frank and Bill both sing, go:
Love will abide, take things in stride
Sounds like good advice but there’s no one at my side
And time washes clean love’s wounds unseen
That’s what someone told me but I don’t know what it means
‘Cause I’ve done everything I know to try and make you mine
And I think I’m gonna love you for a long long time
Bill has been alone for years, so quite literally, there’s been no one at his side.
Frank asks, “Who’s the girl you’re singing about?” To which Bill replies, “There is no girl.”
Frank says, “I know,” understanding that being gay wasn’t something Bill could express, with the inability to show or explore those feelings being the “wounds unseen.” This is confirmed later when Bill says he’s never been with a man intimately.
Ironically, the other piece in the piano, Offenbach’s “Tales of Hoffman,” is also about lost love.
What Happens to Bill and Frank in “The Last of Us”?
In 2023, Frank has succumbed to an uncurable illness. He wishes to live one final day, and asks Bill to give him a fatal dose of medication so he can die in his sleep/in Bill’s arms.
Bill sadly agrees but tells Frank he too will take the pills as he has nothing to live for.
A few days later, Joel and Ellie come across their home. Joel finds their bedroom door locked and Ellie finds a note explaining Bill and Frank’s decision — and a set of keys.
As Joel and Ellie drive off, they find a cassette tape of Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time” in the car. This is particularly meaningful: If Bill and Frank ever left the home, they would always have the song without the piano. Or, if they are separated (either scouting or escaping), this memory is always with one of them.
The final shot is from inside Bill and Frank’s bedroom with “Long Long Time” reprising once more, a view they would’ve shared together one last time before dying.
Watch “Long Long Time” Music Video
Here’s Ronstadt performing an abridged version of “Long Long Time.” You can read the full lyrics here.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Is a Go at HBO