The song heard in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 4 holds a great deal of symbolic meaning, and may also tease the spinoff’s ending.
The classic pop song in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live carries interesting parallels to Rick and Michonne’s story and where the two characters are headed in the spinoff. Eight years have passed in The Walking Dead timeline since Rick’s forced departure from Alexandria, and thanks to The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, he and Michonne have finally been given a chance to reunite their family. Being under the supervision of The Walking Dead’s Civic Republic Military prevented either from getting what they wanted, but throughout episode 4, the pathway back home was clear.
Much to Michonne’s surprise, Rick Grimes was unwilling to head home despite being able to, even after being told that Alexandria may not be under threat of a CRM attack after all. Their disagreement over their next move drove the story of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode 4, titled “What We.” Curiously, their conflict was juxtaposed with a 1970s song heard at the beginning of the episode, which relates directly to the decision Rick makes at the end of the outing, and perhaps what comes after.
The Meaning Of The Song In The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Episode 4 Explained
The song in question was “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree” by Tony Orlando and Dawn. The 1973 song told the touching story of a recently released ex-convict returning home from prison on a bus. As the song reveals, he had been gone for three years and was unsure if his wife was still committed to their relationship. Uncertain of their future, he had told her in a letter to tie a yellow ribbon around a specific tree if she wanted him back. In a happy twist, the song ends with the narrator seeing a hundred yellow ribbons tied to the tree, symbolizing that their love hasn’t died.
Rick and Michonne’s story makes the Tony Orlando and Dawn song a fitting choice for the episode. In different ways, both Rick and Michonne’s situations mirror the struggle of the narrator. Like the ex-convict in the song, Rick had been gone a long time and was afraid to return home. Strengthening the connection was Michonne calling the CRM a “prison” and referring to Rick as someone who had an opportunity to leave prison and yet was still choosing not to go home.
The song similarly represents Michonne’s feelings, as she has questions about where Rick stands with their relationship and family. Fundamentally, both the episode and the song are about the perseverance of love and the impact time can have on it. Not unlike the narrator’s concerns that his wife has given up on him, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live episode tests the strength of Rick and Michonne’s dynamic by hinting at the possibility they don’t know each other anymore. But in the end, the show proves that their love for each other has endured, just like the couple in the song.
Does The Ones Who Live Episode 4’s Song Hint At The Spinoff’s Ending?
In a sense, the ending of “What We” was secretly spoiled by its choice of music for the opening scene. “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree” ends with the ex-convict electing to head home. While the gloominess of the episode’s events and Rick’s mindset may have indicated that he’d be taking a different road, Rick’s choice winds up being the same as the narrator’s. Rick ultimately comes to a realization about his relationship with Michonne, casts aside his doubts, and prepares to head back to Alexandria, ready to begin a new chapter in his life. Both wrap up on a hopeful note, but neither details what happens when the protagonist arrives at their destination.
In the case of the song’s narrator, it can be assumed that he gets his old life back, but with Rick and Michonne, no assurances can be provided. Given that there’s only two episodes left in the season, it’s apparent that Rick and Michonne’s problems aren’t over and more challenges involving the CRM are ahead. How those struggles play out could easily derail their current plans in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live and set up different futures than the one they have in mind. Or, they could be overcome, with the couple getting a chance to make the happy ending of “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree” come true for them as well.