The latest episode of The Last of Us showed us a crucial night into Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) past, revealing how she was first bitten by an infected during a clandestine outing to an abandoned mall with her best friend and first crush Riley (Storm Reid). The Last of Us has had a penchant for breaking our hearts week after week, and this episode was no exception.
One of the many things that makes the show so good is its extremely intentional use of music. There have been plenty of standout songs on the show so far, some of which also featured in The Last of Us video game and others which were new for TV. “Left Behind” had a lot of music, but one particular song snuck under the radar for a lot of people.
I’m talking about the song that plays while Ellie and Riley are taking a ride aboard the carousel. If that music sounded familiar to you, there’s a very good reason.
What was The Last of Us carousel song?
“Left Behind” featured hits from bands like Pearl Jam, a-ha, and more. The song that plays on the carousel is another well-known hit, but the fact that it’s a slightly ambient instrumental version of the song makes it harder to identify.
The song that plays on the carousel is “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure. It was the third single off the band’s 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, and their first song to become a hit in the United States.
In the corresponding episode of HBO’s The Last of Us Podcast, showrunner Craig Mazin credited the choice to use the song to the show’s editor Tim Good. “Tim, I think, is as important to the creative integrity and success of the show as anyone. And he had been waiting, I think, to put this in a show forever. And I think he had tried [with other shows] and people had been like ‘What? No.’ And then I heard this, and I was like ‘Oh my god, it’s the most beautiful thing.'”
The Last of Us premieres new episodes Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max.
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