Breaking Bad: What Song Plays During The Show’s Final Scene
The perfect song was chosen to play over Walt's last scene in Breaking Bad. Here's how it served as a nod to Walt and his time as Heisenberg.
Breaking Bad chose the perfect song to play over the show’s final scene in the series finale. The last installment of the series aired in September 2013 after a five-season run. The series created by Vince Gilligan was an astounding success for AMC, grabbing an impressive amount of awards with a cast led by Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Bob Odenkirk, and Jonathan Banks.
In the finale episode of Breaking Bad, Walter White came to terms with the fact that he didn’t have much time left due to his cancer returning. After evading a nationwide manhunt, he decided to return to New Mexico to give his family the remaining profits from his drug empire. In addition, Walt decided to get revenge on the neo-Nazis that killed his brother-in-law, Hank Schrader. He tied up loose ends and prepared for one final fight knowing full well that he probably wouldn’t come out of it alive.
The finale’s title was “Felina” which was thought to be the combination of iron (Fe), lithium (Li), and sodium (Na) on the periodic table. It also happened to be inspired by a character in the Marty Robbins song, “El Paso,” which greatly connected to Walt’s arc. Gilligan was an expert in including these little Easter eggs and motifs, especially when it came to music, and the final sequence was no different. After he shot up the neo-Nazi compound and allowed his former partner Jesse Pinkman to run free, Walt succumbed to his own wound. He didn’t die quickly so he took one more walk around the lab to admire the chemistry equipment as the song “Baby Blue” by Badfinger played over the scene. The tune continued as Walt bled out on the floor before the final credits rolled.
The Significance Of “Baby Blue” By Badfinger In Breaking Bad
Badfinger was an English and Welsh rock band active from the 1960s to the 1980s. Their song “Baby Blue” was chosen by Gilligan as a nod to Walt’s ability to cook high-quality blue meth throughout the series. This signature product gave him the opportunity to transform into Heisenberg and effectively build a drug empire. While the song played and Walt walked around the lab, he seemed to come to terms with his past choices and admitted that he enjoyed his time as a kingpin. It’s also very fitting that “Baby Blue” starts with the lyrics “guess I got what I deserve” just before Walt’s time on earth came to an end.
Other songs were considered for Breaking Bad‘s final scene, but the crew eventually agreed with Gilligan that “Baby Blue” was the only suitable choice. The line, “the special love I have for you, my Baby Blue,” perfectly encapsulates Walt’s feelings for what he created in those few short years. The surviving members of Badfinger had no qualms about allowing the song in the series. The tune, originally released in 1972, saw a resurgence in popularity and even made it on the tops of charts due to its inclusion in Breaking Bad.
