The Last of Us: What is the song that plays on Joel’s radio?

What is the song that played on Joel’s radio in the end of The Last of Us’ first episode, and what is its hidden meaning?  

The Last of Us aired its series premiere on HBO this Sunday (and streamed it around the world on HBO Max too). Needless to say, the zombie series was one of the biggest talking-points of the entertainment world over the weekend.

The premiere episode, titled “When You’re Lost In The Darkness“, introduced us to Joel, Ellie, Tess, Marlene, and other survivors of the dystopian world ravaged by a form of fungi that turned people into undead monsters.

If you watched it, you will likely have questions, more specifically a question about the final scene in the episode and the song that played during it.

What is the song that plays on the radio in The Last of Us?

The song that plays on Joel’s radio in The Last of Us episode 1 is “Never Let Me Down Again” by Depeche Mode. It’s a catchy song, no doubt, and you can tell as much as soon as the opening lyrics “I’m taking a ride with my best friend” play over the closing sequence and end credits. However, it’s also got a terribly haunting hidden significance to The Last of Us.

Remember how Ellie deduced that Joel was receiving hidden messages via whatever songs played on the radio? Well using the Billboard Book of No. 1 Hits, he was able to determine what the songs were and what year they were released in. According to the smuggling code he and “Bill and Frank” used, a song from the 1960s meant that there was “Nothing in”, and a song from the 1970s meant that there was “New stock”. A song from the 1980s simply had a red “x” beside it. Ellie later tricked Joel into revealing that an ’80s song meant “trouble”.

“Never Let Me Down Again” was released in 1987. So, if Ellie’s code-cracking skills are indeed as effective as they appeared to be, then it seems that trouble is on the horizon for Joel, “Bill and Frank”, Ellie and Tess. The question is: What kind of trouble is it, and what could be worse than the harshness of the undead world they are about to face?

What did you think of The Last of Us season 1 episode 1? What do you think the song on the radio means? Let us know in the comments below!