“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri

“A Thousand Years” is quite simply a love song. Christina Perri depicts herself as someone who has been waiting her entire life to fall in love. And now that she has found that special someone yes, she is a bit apprehensive. 

But overall she realizes that the person standing in front of her is a dream come true. She therefore is not going to let fear prevent her from loving him and is entreating him to do the same.

Now logically speaking, her proclaiming that she has loved him “for a thousand years” and intends to do so “for a thousand more” is metaphorical. In terms of the former statement, what she is basically saying is that she views it as her destiny to be with this individual. And in terms of the latter, she is stating her intention to love him forever.

But those phrases are also meant to be taken literally, to some extent. For as pointed out in the trivia section, Christina Perri wrote this tune specifically for a sci-fi/romance film. And said film is centered on vampires. And vampires, as you probably know based on Hollywood lore, are often depicted as being immortal. So when speaking from the perspective of one of these fictional characters, the “thousand years” the singer is putting forth can be taken more literally.

“I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling, don’t be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years
I’ll love you for a thousand more”

Facts about “A Thousand Years”

This song was released on 18 October 2011 as the second single from “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)”. And the label behind the audio is Atlantic Records.

The official music video to this track was directed by Jay Martin. As of early-July 2020 the clip has garnered in excess of 2 billion views on YouTube, making it one of the platform’s most-viewed videos ever.

Jay Martin is the same director behind Perri’s 2010 song “Jar of Hearts“.

The song itself has also proven to be quite-successful chart-wise. For instance, it appeared on 6 Billboard charts and peaked at number 11 in Britain (the UK Singles Chart). And overall, “A Thousand Years” entered the charts of nearly 20 countries, being certified Platinum or better in eight nations. And most impressively of all it has been certified an astounding octuple-Platinum in the United States.

There is also another version of “A Thousand Years” found on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (2012). That rendition is acoustic, and she performed it alongside actor/singer Steve Kazee.

Christina Perri wrote “A Thousand Years” in conjunction with David Hodges, one of the track’s producers. And she did so at the behest of Atlantic Records, who let her screen “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1” early for that specific purpose.

And the other producers of the track are Paul Katz and Alexandra Patsavas.

What does “A Thousand Years” mean to you?

“‘A Thousand Years’ was my wife’s favorite song. She passed away on the morning of October 18, 2021 due to complications from a procedure. That date marked exactly 10 years of the official release of the song. You can imagine how emotionally attached I am to it. I know she is here somewhere so I just want to say to her, ‘I’ll love you for a thousand more’. That was her favorite part of the song.”

– Spencer

“When I was young, my mother used to sing ‘A Thousand Years’ to me, and I always found her voice to be soothing. It wasn’t until recently that I realized the song was actually written for Bill Condon’s ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn’. Regardless of its origins, hearing it still brings back a flood of nostalgic memories for me.”

– Daniella  

Watch The Twilight Saga and You’ll Truly Understand what “A Thousand Years” is all about

“You think you know how deep this song is? You have no idea unless you’ve watched Bill Condon’s ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’. I don’t trust anyone who claims to understand the true meaning of this song without having seen that movie. It’s a pivotal scene where everything changes, and the lyrics just hit you in a way that’s hard to describe.

I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like I understand this song on a different level because of that movie. It’s more than just a beautiful melody or a catchy chorus, there’s a depth to it that only comes through experiencing that film.”

– Marcy May

“When ‘A Thousand Years’ played at the last moments of ‘The Twilight Saga’, I was hit by a wave of emotions. The haunting melody and powerful lyrics gave me chills and brought me to tears, leaving an indelible mark on my mind. The filmmakers made an excellent choice in selecting this song as one of the movie’s soundtracks.”

– Selina

A Truly Beautiful Video

“In March of 2018, my love for ‘A Thousand Years’ deepened further. I came across a heartwarming video of mothers of children with Down Syndrome in the UK performing a beautiful rendition of the song to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. The mothers, who were all part of the Designer Genes Facebook group, used sign language to effortlessly communicate the lyrics while their kids played along and had fun by their sides.

It was a beautiful display of mastery and skill, as well as the purity of childhood innocence. Watching them interact in this way filled me with admiration and appreciation for their unique family dynamic. The emotion and passion they put into their performance made me appreciate the song even more, and I was deeply moved by their display of love and unity.”

– Tracey Dawkins

I will love him for “A Thousand Years”

“This song holds a personal meaning for me. My husband passed away in January of 2021 after an 8-year battle with stage 4 cancer. I believe his love for me and our daughters kept him fighting till the very end. We were college sweethearts. He made my time at Boston University worth the while. We were married for 11 years and those were undoubtedly some of the best years of my life. Every day, I miss him deeply, and I can’t help but cry for him. However, my love for him will endure, and I will continue to love him for a thousand years.”

– Maryam

A Sufferer of Unrequited Love

“This perfectly captures the emotions of unrequited love and holding onto hope. Despite years of loving someone who doesn’t feel the same way, I still haven’t given up on finding a soulmate in him. In fact, I’ve already chosen this song as my wedding song, even though I haven’t found the one to share it with yet. It’s a bittersweet feeling, but I know that someday I’ll find my person and we’ll create new memories together. The song will always hold a special place in my heart as a reminder of the journey I took to find true love.”

– Araba Esi

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1”

“While many people have their own unique reasons for enjoying ‘A Thousand Years’ I have to be honest and say that I don’t find anything particularly special about the song. However, I love it because of my deep love for ‘The Twilight Saga’.

The film centers around the wedding, honeymoon, and the complications that arise when Bella, played by American actress, Kristen Stewart, becomes pregnant with Edward’s child. Edward was played by Englishman, Robert Pattinson.

While ‘A Thousand Years’ undoubtedly played a significant role in the popularity of ‘The Twilight Saga”, it is important to note that the movie’s success cannot be attributed solely to the song. The movie’s soundtrack featured other popular songs such as Bruno Mars’ “It Will Rain.”

Its success and popularity helped to increase the exposure of Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years’ making it even more popular among fans. So, while the song may have played a significant role in the movie’s success, it is fair to say that the movie’s popularity also helped to increase its reach and recognition.”

– Gideon