Neha Raithatha

Analysis of the lyricsA Thousand Years – Christina Perri

Heart beats fastColours and promises

How to be brave?How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?

But watching you stand alone,All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.

One step closer

[Chorus:]I have died everyday waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid I have loved youFor a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

Time stands stillBeauty in all she is

I will be braveI will not let anything take awayWhat's standing in front of me

Every breathEvery hour has come to this

One step closer

[Chorus:]I have died everyday waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid I have loved youFor a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find youTime has brought your heart to me

I have loved you for a thousand yearsI'll love you for a thousand more

This song was written by Christina Perri to feature in the first part of the final Twilight Saga film – Breaking Dawn Part One.Therefore, the lyrics are meant to represent the relationship between the two protagonists, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. As Edward is a Vampire, the most obvious analysis would be that Edward has waited for ‘a thousand years’ to find Bella and to truly fall in love, as by being a vampire, he never ages and is therefore over one hundred years old. This age gap has been exaggerated to form the title of this song ‘a thousand years’. Additionally, it seems as the protagonists have a very unique relationship and are able to experience love in its truest form, therefore even though it may seem as if they have waited their whole lives to be together, they are aware that it was well worth the wait: “I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more”.

However as a writer and musician, Perri did not want to narrow her target audience just to those who are fans of the Twilight Saga. The lyrics portray a deep love between two people

Neha Raithatha

that is worth the wait. She sings about the way such a pure and true love makes her feel stronger “How can I love when I'm afraid to fall? But watching you stand alone, All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.” Additionally, the hook before every chorus “one step closer” suggests that by waiting for so long for her love, Perri is one step closer to being with him as time slowly passes.

The chorus is almost ironic as it talks about dying, even though Vampires are immortal: “I have died everyday waiting for you”. Even though Edward will never die, the wait for his love seems to kill him slowly, even though he knows that it will be worth the wait. Perri (from the perspective of Edward) seems to be re-assuring her lover that no matter how long it takes, or the obstacles that must be faced, true love will always be worth the wait in the end.