Possible Clues:

• Heretofore
• Gone by, as time
• "A Night in Summer Long ___" Mark Knopfler
• Ancient history adjective
• Word after "long"
• Yore
• "Long ___, in a galaxy ..."
• "ong, Long ___22
• George Harrison "All Those Years ___"
• "Fourscore and seven years ___ ..."