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CHRISTINA PERRI
A THOUSAND YEARS
Guitar 1: Acoustic Guitar Rhythm / Fingerpicking
Guitar 2: Acoustic 2
Guitar 2: Acoustic 2
About the Track
Perri drew inspiration for the song from the intense emotions she experienced while reading about Edward and Bella's star-crossed romance in Stephenie Meyer's series. Speaking with MTV News, she recalled, "When we watched the screening, they told us to notice where the temporary music had been placed and to really lean into those scenes emotionally." Being a fan of the story and its characters, Perri felt deeply connected to the love between Edward and Bella. "By reading the books, I was able to tap into the emotions they feel for each other," she said. Collaborating with songwriter David Hodges, the song came together in just one afternoon. "It felt like it was meant to be—like the song had been inside me all along, just waiting to come out."
Performance Notes
We've got 2 acoustics to try and fill in the hugeness that the piano provides in this song, but the voicings are big, grandiose and sound fantastic. If you are playing it in a set as a one piece, just grab guitar 1 and keep it to strumming - the chords with proper, dynamic strumming will do the trick.
About the Lyrics
You're absolutely right — that lyric from "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri resonates on two levels, which is what makes it so powerful.
For vampires like Edward and Bella in Twilight, the line “I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more” fits perfectly within their narrative — they're literally immortal, so the idea of loving someone for millennia isn't just poetic, it's plausible.
But for humans, especially in the context of weddings, it becomes metaphorical. It captures the feeling of timeless, unwavering love — a desire to love someone beyond the limits of a single lifetime. Even though we aren't immortal, we often use eternity as a symbol for the depth and permanence of our emotions.
The dual appeal — both literal (for the supernatural) and metaphorical (for the human experience) — is what made the song so universally embraced.
Funny Sidenotes
"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. - Songfacts.com
Patrick Jones - Course author
STAYCE ROBERTS
With over 40 years of dedication to the instrument, Stayce has taken his love of songwriting, guitar playing and producing that allows him to bring a fresh, professional style to his Online Instructional Videos, making him a top tier instructor in song and lesson tutorials.