Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Long Long Time’ Streams Soar After ‘The Last of Us’

“Long, Long Time” is featured prominently and heard in scenes with survivors Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), as well as later in scenes with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey).

With Bill and Frank, the song is important to their relationship. In the scene, Frank sits at a piano and discovers a songbook by Linda Ronstadt. Frank sits at the piano and finds a book of his songs there. She starts playing and sings the first few lines of the song before Bill takes over, “There’ll be love, move things on. Sounds like good advice but I don’t have anyone on my side.”

The actual sync is executed at the end of the phase.

The song choice was made by executive producer and director Craig Mazin, but after his friend Seth Rudetsky suggested it. Mazin was looking for a song to connect the two characters.

talking to diversity, “I knew the song needed to hit something about longing, pain and boundless unrequited love,” Mazin said. “I haven’t found the right song for my life. I was trying and trying, and then I texted my friend Seth Rudetsky, who is the host of SiriusXM on Broadway and is a gentleman. I told her, ‘Here’s what I need,’ and two seconds later: ‘Linda Ronstadt, “Long, long time.”‘ I was like, there it is. That’s it!”

Written by Gary White, the song appears on Ronstadt’s “Silk Purse” album. The single spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 25. In 1971, Ronstadt earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance.

Watch the music video for “Long Long Time” below.