Fans ofThe Last of Uswill know how important music is in the games. From Joel playing guitar to teaching Ellie, to Ellie playing a variety of songs to Dina inThe Last of Us Part 2. As the outbreak in the HBO adaptation takes place in 2003 rather than 2013, it’s less likely that Joel will sing “Future Days” by Pearl Jam.
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But other essential tracks like “Alone and Forsaken” by Hank Williams and “True Faith” by Lottie Kestner have already made their way into the series, as have several different songs with equally significant meanings. Many of the songs featured in HBO’sThe Last of Ushelp set the show’s tone andgive viewers an insight into the character’s intentionsand sometimes even a little backstory.
Updated June 12, 2025, by Sophie McEvoy:Now that season one of The Last of Us is done, it is time to take a look at the best songs used throughout HBO Max’s series.
17"Tomorrow" By Avril Lavigne
The first song to appear inThe Last of Usis"Tomorrow" by Avril Lavigne, playing on the radio while Sarah makes breakfast for Joel on his birthday. After viewers get over the ultimate nostalgic trip with this 2002 classic, it’s evident that the track foreshadows Sarah’s fate.
“And I wanna believe you
When you tell me that it’ll be okay
Yeah, I try to believe you
But I don’t.”
Theepisode follows Sarah during her last day, from waking up in the morning to dying the next morning when she, Joel, and Tommy try to evacuate following the outbreak. It’s such a sad moment coinciding with Joel and Sarah’s everyday routine that is about to change forever because, as Lavigne sings, “Tomorrow is a different day.”
16"White Flag" By Dido
In another wave of nostalgia, Lavigne’s “Tomorrow” is followed by"White Flag" by Dido.Released a couple months before the outbreak begins in September, the song plays as Joel and Sarah eat breakfast and as Tommy arrives to talk about his and Joel’s upcoming construction job.
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Despite it being barely audible in the background, the lyrics say a lot about Joel’s love for Sarah (“I’m in love and always will be”) and his motivations as a parent, as well as carrying on with life without her.
“But I will not go down with this ship
And I won’t put my hands up and surrender.”
15"Never Let Me Down Again" By Depeche Mode
Playing on the radio at the end of Episode 1,“Never Let Me Down Again” by Depeche Mode, signals trouble. The ’80s trackis believed to be about drugs, but in the context ofThe Last of Us, it foreshadows Joel and Ellie’s relationship. Of course, gamers are well aware of where their bond leads, but for viewers, this song signals the journey the pair are about to go on.
“I’m taking a ride with my best friend
I hope he never lets me down again
He knows where he’s taking me
Taking me where I want to be.”
14"I’m Coming Home To Stay" By Fleetwood Mac
Episode 3 introduces viewers to Bill as he decides to stay in Lincoln, Massachusetts, while everyone else is evacuating.“I’m Coming Home To Stay” by Fleetwood Macaptly plays while he’s living his best life prepping, finding supplies, and building defenses to protect himself from the infected and other potential dangers.
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While short, the song describes Bill’s predicament of staying in the deserted town alone and foreshadows Frank living there.
“When I get back with you, baby, you know I ain’t going to leave anymore.
[…]
“I’ll give you all the love, little darling, I’ve had in store for you since I’ve been gone.”
13"White Room” By Cream
As Bill settles into his new daily routine by himself, the rock classic"White Room" by Creamplays. Written as a"monologue about a new flat"by poet Pete Brown, the song speaks of the solitude that Bill experiences before meeting Frank for the first time. It also foreshadows the things that lurk outside Bill’s compound that will eventually strike when Bill and Frank least expect it.
“In a white room with black curtains near the station
Black roof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
“I’ll wait in this place where the sun never shines
Wait in this place where the shadows run for themselves.”
12"On The Nature Of Daylight” By Max Richter
As Frank lives out his last day with Bill, an instrumental version of"On The Nature Of Daylight" by Max Richterplays. The song’s lyrics aptly frame the love Bill and Frank have shared for two decades and how they’d grown old and died together. It’s especially poignant from Frank’s perspective, who is slowly dying from a degenerative disease.
“And if my life is like the dust
Ooh, that hides
The glow of a rose
What good am I?
Heaven only knows.”
11"Long Long Time" By Linda Ronstadt
The name of Episode 3 is taken from the song"Long Long Time" by Linda Ronstadt. It’splayed twice in the episodewhen Frank first comes into Bill’s house and makes him play it on the piano. It quickly becomes their song, holding special meaning with their love encapsulated in the lyrics.
Ellie later finds a tape of the track in Bill’s truck and puts it in, playing as Joel and Ellie leave Lincoln. It changes the meaning of the lyrics, adapting toJoel and Ellie’s growing bondand care for each other.
“‘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
Caught in my fears
Blinking back the tears
I can’t say you hurt me when you never let me near
And I never drew one response from you.”
10"Chains of Love" by Erasure
When Joel and Ellie enter the bunker at the end of Episode 3,“Chains of Love” by Erasurecan be heard playing from Bill’s computer. Joel relays to Ellie that Bill would reset the playlist each week. If it hadn’t, that means something’s happened – either Bill and Frank are in trouble or are dead.
On the surface, the ’80s hit doesn’t have much of a connection to the world ofThe Last of Us. However, the lyrics resonate heavily with what life was like before the infection took hold.
“Do you remember when there was a time
When people on the street
Were walking hand in hand
They used to talk about the weather
Making plans together
Days would last forever.”
9"Alone And Forsaken" by Hank Williams
During a scene fans were waiting for, Ellie finds a tape in the seat pocket of Bill’s truck which just so happens to be"Alone And Forsaken" by Hank Williams. While the circumstances are different in the show,the scene follows the game’s dialogueto the letter resulting in a cherished moment between the pair in Episode 4. The episode itself (titled “Hold My Hand”) is named after the lyric, “Please hold to my hand.”
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Listening to the track’s lyrics,“Alone and Forsaken"connects to the overall situation the world finds itself in.
“The roses have faded; there’s frost at my door
The birds in the morning don’t sing anymore
The grass in the valley is starting to die
And out in the darkness, the whippoorwills cry.”
8"True Faith” By Lotte Kestner
During the end credits of Episode 4, gamers will have noted the inclusion of"True Faith" by Lotte Kestner. A cover of New Order’s ’80s hit, it played an important part inThe Last of Us Part 2. While its lyrics mirror Ellie’s journey in the second game, it alsoperfectly fits with Joel and Ellie’s bondthat is starting to take shape in the show.
“I used to think that the day would come
I’d see delight in the shade of the morning sun
My morning sun is the drug that brings me near
To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear.”
