What song is playing in Bill’s bunker in ‘The Last of Us’? What does it mean?

Warning: This article contains major spoilers for The Last of Us episode three

The third episode of The Last of Us is possibly the best yet this first season, with the heartbreak elements combining perfectly with a story of underrepresented queer love. Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett give their absolute all in their performances, while some of the musical choices also deliver in the clutch.

Setting the tone early on are songs like “Long Long Time” and “White Room”, but the song at the very end is possibly the most interesting in terms of what it means. Fans of synthpop in particular will be very happy with the final scene’s song choice.

What song is playing in Bill’s bunker in The Last of Us?

Jumping back yet again into the 1980s, episode three of The Last of Us ends on a musical note with “Chains of Love” by Erasure playing ever-so-briefly in the background of the scene, before Joel turns the radio off. Unless you were around in the ’80s electronic scene, or queer, you likely wouldn’t know too much about this track.

Erasure were formed by former Depeche Mode founder Vince Clarke (the connection strikes again), and Andy Bell. The latter is an absolute trailblazer for gay artists, especially for his songs nor shying away from the subject matter during an era of massive discrimination against queer people.

“Chains of Love”, unsurprisingly, is about Bell’s hopes for the wider acceptance of gay couples and gay marriage. The song is one of their best known and works perfectly for the story presented in episode three surrounding Bill and Frank’s tragic relationship.

The Last of Us is available to stream exclusively on HBO Max.