Linda Ronstadt's 1970 Hit 'Long Long Time' Is Back in the Spotlight After 'The Last of Us' Episode

Linda Ronstadt's 1970 hit, "Long Long Time," just got the Kate Bush treatment thanks to Sunday's emotional episode of The Last of Us. The track, which was featured in episode 3 of the HBO Max series, started charting, and by Monday, streams of the rock legend's track on Spotify had increased by 4900 percent -- similar to how "Running Up That Hill," Bush's 1985 song, went viral after being featured on season 4 of Stranger Things in May.

The song played a pivotal role in the third episode, which focused on the love story between post-apocalyptic survivors Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).

"Long, Long Time" made two appearances in the show on Sunday. First, in a scene where Bill sings and plays the song on a piano after Frank discovers a Ronstadt songbook in his mother's piano bench, and later, at the episode's end, when Ronstadt's version of track is played as Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) drive off in Bill's car.

In both instances, the song's lyrics help drive the message of the show, about the ever-driving power of love even during the worst times in life.

"Love will abide, takes things in stride / Sounds like good advice / but there's no one at my side," Ronstadt sings. "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."

The song, which exemplifies the power of love, even in the darkest of times, is one the show's director and executive producer, Craig Mazin, told Variety that his friend and SiriusXM host, Seth Rudetsky, suggested when he was trying to find a song for his two characters to connect over.

"I knew that song needed to hit certain things about longing and aching and endlessly unrequited love," Mazin told the outlet. "I could not find the right song for the life of me. I was trying and trying, and then I texted my friend Seth Rudetsky, who is the host of Sirius XM on Broadway and a savant. I told him, 'Here's all the things I need,' and two seconds later: 'Linda Ronstadt, 'Long, Long Time.' "I was like, 'There it is. That's it!'"

Ronstadt posted a video of a live performance of the '70s hit on Instagram following Sunday's episode, writing, "I think I’m gonna love you for a long long time ❤️ #LindaRonstadt #LongLongTime."

The song was -- and still is -- a huge hit for Ronstadt, off her 1971 album, Silk Purse. The song peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning the singer a GRAMMY nomination that same year.

The Last of Us is proving to be just as popular, getting renewed for a second season just two weeks into its debut.

The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9 p.m. PT/ET on HBO and HBO Max.

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