🎵 Long Long Time: The 1970 Song That Broke Hearts in 2023 — and Brought Linda Ronstadt Back Into the Spotlight
In the golden era of Laurel Canyon and 1970s singer-songwriters, Linda Ronstadt’s voice stood out: soft yet soaring, raw yet elegant. Her breakout ballad, “Long Long Time”, was a fragile ode to unrequited love. It earned her a Grammy nomination and became one of her signature heartbreak anthems.
But more than 50 years later, in a post-apocalyptic video game TV adaptation, something unbelievable happened: that same ballad made the world cry again. And it happened without Linda Ronstadt even knowing.
🎬 The Scene That Changed Everything
On January 29, 2023, HBO aired the third episode of its smash-hit show The Last of Us — a bleak, emotional story set in a devastated world where love still struggles to bloom.
In that episode, two characters — Bill and Frank — discover a piano and stumble across Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time.” As Frank sings the opening lines, the episode takes a turn from dystopian survival to intimate human connection.
By the time the song returned in full later in the episode, millions of viewers were in tears.
And just like that, a 53-year-old love song became the emotional core of a modern TV masterpiece.
📈 A Streaming Explosion
The effect was immediate and massive.
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Spotify reported a 4,900% increase in streams for “Long Long Time” within 24 hours.
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Apple Music charts saw the song break into the top 100 in multiple countries.
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Linda Ronstadt began trending on Twitter and Reddit.
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Younger audiences were asking: “Who is she? Why haven’t I heard this voice before?”
It was a classic case of rediscovery — and a powerful reminder of music’s timeless ability to hit new generations in unexpected ways.
🧠 Linda Had No Idea
The most surprising twist?
Linda Ronstadt didn’t even know it happened.
Due to her battle with progressive supranuclear palsy — a rare brain disorder that affects speech and movement — she isn’t always plugged into the digital world. Her team only learned about the song’s TV resurgence after fans started flooding comments and sending clips.
Later, Ronstadt’s longtime manager said:
“Linda doesn’t watch a lot of television, but we showed her the clip. She was very moved. She said, ‘I had no idea people still felt something from that song.’”
It was a rare, poignant moment: an artist, in the twilight of her life and career, seeing her work take flight all over again — long after she stopped singing.
💔 The Story Behind the Song
“Long Long Time” was written by Gary White, not Linda herself, but her interpretation is what turned it into a classic.
Released in 1970 on her album Silk Purse, the song features swelling strings, sparse piano, and Ronstadt’s aching vocal — capturing the helplessness of loving someone who can’t love you back.
“Love will abide, take things in stride… Sounds like good advice, but there’s no one at my side.”
It was unlike anything on the radio at the time. And for many, it became the definitive “lonely heart” song.
🧬 Why It Resonated in 2023
The beauty of The Last of Us episode was how it re-contextualized “Long Long Time.” It was no longer just about romantic rejection. It became a meditation on time, memory, love in a ruined world — and the courage to open your heart, even when everything seems lost.
That emotional depth hit audiences hard. Online forums were flooded with messages like:
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“I can’t stop listening to this.”
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“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on television.”
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“I’ve never cried so much over a song I just heard for the first time.”
💡 The Power of Placement
This wasn’t the first time a song from the past went viral because of TV or film (Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” in Stranger Things is a recent example). But “Long Long Time” hit differently.
Why? Because it wasn’t just nostalgic — it felt relevant. It brought older viewers back to a specific time in their lives… and introduced younger ones to vulnerability they hadn’t heard before.
And the fact that Linda herself wasn’t chasing attention made it even more powerful. It was genuine, organic… and heartbreakingly real.
🎧 A Revival With Meaning
After the episode aired, Linda’s back catalog saw a huge spike in streams. Songs like “Blue Bayou”, “Desperado”, and “You’re No Good” re-entered playlists and recommendations.
But “Long Long Time” remained the centerpiece — not just because of the show, but because of how beautifully it encapsulates fragility, hope, and acceptance.
🕯️ Final Notes from a Quiet Legend
Linda Ronstadt hasn’t sung in public since her diagnosis more than a decade ago. She rarely gives interviews. But when asked about the song’s return to the spotlight, she simply said:
“It’s nice to know people still feel things when they hear it.”
No fanfare. No comeback tour. Just a voice — still echoing through time.
In an era obsessed with hype and algorithms, that simplicity might be the most powerful thing of all.
💭 Final Thought
Sometimes, the songs that shape our lives don’t arrive with fireworks. They come quietly — on an old piano, in a show about the end of the world — and remind us of what it means to love, and lose, and try again.
“Long Long Time” isn’t just a song anymore.
It’s a shared memory between strangers.
And somehow, that’s more eternal than fame.