A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

Album: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Soundtrack (2011)

Charted: 11 31

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For Twilight fan Christina Perri, landing a track on the soundtrack for Breaking Dawn was a dream come true. She told MTV News how she penned the song after attending an early screening of the movie. Said Perri: "I tried not to get hyped out, because it's one of my favorite movies, one of my favorite books, one of my favorite soundtracks, and that could potentially freak out the little songwriter in me.

So I tried to put that aside and take it one step at a time, went to see the movie and cried like a baby, because it's so good, and I felt so lucky to be there. And then went home and wrote a love song to Edward and Bella... and to have it be chosen, I'm unbelievably honored."
Perri wrote the song based on the emotions that she felt reading about the star-crossed love affair between Edward and Bella throughout Stephenie Meyer's series. "When we went to watch the screening, they told us to see where there was temporary music added and just jump into those scenes a little harder," she explained to MTV News. "But I'm fortunately a fan of the movie and the characters, and I feel like, by reading these books, I can step into that feeling that Edward and Bella have for each other. So [songwriter] David Hodges and I sat down, and it just came out in one afternoon. I feel like it was all meant to happen; I feel like it was all waiting inside me, waiting to come out."
The lines, "I have loved you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more," are appropriate for vampires like Edward and Bella because, they're like, immortal, but humans also took to this song, using it in their weddings as an expression of everlasting love.
Perri recalled to Billboard magazine: "Atlantic Records (was) doing the writing for Breaking Dawn. They asked me to come in and screen the movie and then write something. They were going to give me a shot because they knew what a big fan I was. So, I saw the movie in this little screening room with all these super-Hollywood-y dudes on their Blackberries not watching... and I'm in the front row crying the whole time. I went straight home and wrote 'A Thousand Years.'"
"A Thousand Years" was Perri's third single, following her hit debut, "Jar of Hearts," and its follow-up, "Arms." She was in her mid-20s when she had this run of hits. After a few years of touring, she backed away from the industry and started a family, getting married in 2017 and having her first child the following year.
The song reached a new peak position of #11 in the UK in September 2013, after contestant Nicholas McDonald performed it on the British version of X Factor.
"A Thousand Years" returned to the UK Top 75 in the spring of 2018 after it was used in a carpool karaoke-style clip in support of World Down Syndrome Day. The video features 50 mums and their children singing along to Perri's hit.

Comments: 12

Dolores Harris from Conroe TxI fell in Love with this beautiful awesome song that my granddaughter Carleigh kept playing in her ytube app. Carleigh's 7 years old and loves music. The song " A thousand years" caught my hearts attention so much that I just had to get all the information together and now I'm here with my comment. Both of us Love this beautiful song.
Amy from IowaI absolutely love A Thousand Years. I find myself humming to it frequently. Christina Perri is amazing.
Suzy from Kent UkThis is to be the song I will share at the end of my wonderful partner’s funeral. We were together for only 8 wonderful years, but I was afraid to walk away from a relationship that was killing me mentally and emotionally. He gave me back my strength, courage, self esteem and the willingness to love completely. I will not be waiting a thousand years to be back in his wonderful arms, but will have his son to keep me focussed on positives as he would have wanted. This song expresses exactly how I feel
Brianna Auerbach from Swansea IllinoisI thought someone said that this song was written because Christina Perri lost a child and wrote the song because of her?
Katie from New YorkThis song was Co-written by Perri with David Hodges.
If you know David, you know this song screams David through and through. He is a true romantic.
Bridget from CoI thought Perri was actually talking about someone! I am shocked this was written about a book!
Kovinator I love this song!!! It's the best!!! And of course who couldn't love the movies and the books?
Left High Kick from Middle Class -usaReally good song, good lyrics. Kind of hard for me to listen to.

“ Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
I will be brave,
How can I love when I’m afraid...”

So true. In my case, that’s how I felt with her. She knows who she is.

My heart would be faster when I knew she would be close. Even in the bad times. I looked forward to seeing her. But I was afraid. Afraid of becoming like my parents. Afraid of taking the risk. Afraid of being married to her and her family. Afraid of all that. Because I came through a bad divorce as a kid.

How can I love her completely, when I’m afraid?

I think of her with this song, but I don’t listen to it that much. Unless I’m high on weed.
Emi_dafish from Jdgi love this song my best friend and i have had this song forever everytime we are together we sing/listen to this song!!!!!
Tracy from Trenton Bethany from Gresham

They did the same to me! They will pay in the next life what they did.
Bethany from Gresham, Or Christina,
I know u wrote this song in honor of Edward and Bella's love in Twilight, of which I too am a huge fan, but the minute i heard the lyrics, it was so much more to me. I am one of hundreds of thousands of families ripped apart by the horrors of DHS Child Services, a victim of their vicious corruption motivated by a price put on each childs head thanks to the SFAA act of 1997 by Hillary Clinton written to incentivize branches with federal funding not for providing support and resources and help that strengthen and protect the family unit but instead for taking children from their parents arms for astronomical amounts, (of which admittedly over 85% of cases unfounded, though they end up with non blood family members because at the deadline they get big fat bonuses for adopting them out regardless of the parents or childs best interests, progress, or rights) Anyway, this has literally destroyed my world and crippled me beyond recovery. I waited and tried and yes even died in my attempts to have my son, eventually paying $15,000 to do in-vitro fertilization to finally become a mother to my miracle so and he was my world. I was a fantastic mother, worked with him from in the womb even and he is extremely gifted and talented academically and scholastically as well. We were so bonded all professionals shared the opinion separation would literally be the worst thing for him though they didn't listen or care. They kept us apart almost 3 years in attempt to sever our bond limiting contact after to one 3 hour visit a year. Needless to say my heart bleeds every day waiting for this day.
My point is that when u hear these lyrics from a mothers point of view much less one in my position and circumstance, it takes on a whole new meaning describing perfectly what ive searched for years to express and to take it even further even switched up the second male verse as if from him and i cant even get through it without sobbing. This song has touched me in a way no other could or would and all i can do is thank u with all thats left in me for writing it. For that, for this, i will always love you a total perfect stranger, for touching my life in the deepest way without ever having met before.
Sincerely,
Bethany Swindle
Sara from Union City, TnLove it! So romantic! Perfect for the story of Edward and Bella.

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