100 Years

I think this is a great song. Obviously it can be interpeted many diffrent ways. What I got out of it is the life of a love relationship. I get this by looking at the the song, and not just the chorus (which many have the bad habit of doing). My reasoning is like when he says he is 15 he is dreaming wondering where his love is, nearly all 15 year olds haven't met the one they are going to be with forever. At 22 they are on fire making their way back from Mars, at 22 you are in the state of meeting each other and are head over heels and giddy, much like fly through space. At 33 you are married and are still a single person, yet considered a "they" as in he and his wife. A kid on the way and a family on his mind, self-explanitory. At 45 the sea is high, things are getting rough, heading into a crisis, mid life crisis, chasing the years of my life, wondering where all the years have gone. At 99 he is dreaming counting the ways to where you are, what I got was his wife has passed and as his own death nears he wonders where she went and he is going. That is just my intrepetation.

I think you all have some valid interpretations of this song. I also believe most artists are very vague on what songs truly mean because in order to speak to the listener directly they need us to be able to relate the songs to our own lives. In my opinion though, I am more inclined to agree with those of you who think this song is about the persons life moreso than a song about the woman he loves. Here is where I am coming from.

He says, "I'm 15 for a moment, caught in between 10 and 20 and I'm just dreaming, counting the ways to where you are" I feel "you" is in reference to the age. At 15, you are at an awkward age where you long for adulthood and to be on your own and making adult decisions. I don't really feel he is referring to being in love at this point because EVERYTHING in ones life, including love, seems like it is the biggest deal at that age. And as the song goes on it's as if the phases of life are seperate people. This is very valid in the fact that at 10, 15, 20, 99, etc. you are a different person. When he refers to himself as being that age, he says, "I'm" or otherwise the age itself can be considered a person he doesn't know yet, or once knew, depending on the reference in the song.

I feel this can also be confirmed in the next verse, "I'm 22 for a moment, she feels better than ever and we're on fire, making our way back from Mars". Notice when he refers to his love he refers to her seperately, saying "she". And since he is 22, together they are "we".

This is further supported in the first line of the chorus as well as the last, "15 there's still time for YOU, time to buy and time to lose, 15, there's never a wish better than this, when YOU only got 100 years to live".

The next verse I find of more interest, "I'm 33 for a moment, still the man, but you see I'm a THEY, a kid on the way, a family on my mind." "They" is speaking of him and his wife, just as "we" was speaking of himself at 22 and his love at the time. I want to point out that any reference to a love in this song is also not necessarily the same love. If at 15 he is referring to "you" as an age and not a love, whoever he is with at 22 is not necessarily the love of his life and who he will go on to start a family with at 33.

In the verse, "I'm 45 for a moment, the sea is high, and I'm heading into a crisis, chasing the years of my life." There is not much that needs interpreting here. Those of you who said this is about having a midlife crisis, I have to agree that this requires no debate.

The verse that gives me chills everytime though is, "Half time goes by, suddenly you’re wise, another blink of an eye, 67 is gone, the sun is getting high, we're moving on..." So much power in this verse! Half time equals age 50 and wisdom is referred to as the mid-life crisis has passed and all one will do with their life has been done. 67 though is what I find very open to interpretation. Its a time after retirement by everyday standards and time to enjoy the rest of ones days. Is the "we" here though, that is "moving on" 67 and his wife or 67 and all the previous ages? I would say probably all the previous ages moving towards 100 and you will see why in the last verse and the final bridge to the chorus.

Here is where the tears come in addition to the chills for me, "I'm 99 for a moment, dying for just another moment, and I'm just dreaming, counting the ways to where you are." If anyone has ever watched a parent, grandparent or older loved one deteriorate this will make perfect sense. This says to me, that at 99 the "you" here is definitely not in reference to a love that has passed before the singer. In fact "you" is any one of the previous ages mentioned. This is all but confirmed in the final 3 of the 4 lines.

And in the bridge, I would even go as far to say that this is his life flashing before his eyes before he reaches the end at 100. "15 there's still time for you", he is remembering his youth and everything he had before him, "22 I feel her too", he can vividly feel every sensation and emotion of being in the moment with his love at the time. "33 you’re on your way", he remembers the accomplishments in his life and truly reaching adulthood by starting a family. And of course, "every day's a new day..." is the feeling you have when you still have so much life ahead of you 100 doesn't seem like it will be anything to worry about anytime soon.

I welcome any comments or debate but this is the way I interpret the song. Regardless, it is a beautiful song and will forever be one of my favorites!

its about life..just life

I'm going to be a jerk again and point out how easy it is to misconstrue anything. For instance, this song could be about Nazi Germany, and the rise of the Third Reich:

In 1915, the height of the first world war, Germany definitely had to make some tough choices, and lots of their choices at this point affected their history, and their tumble into the Nazi government. Still time for them indeed.

1922 was approaching the terrifying hyperinflation that crippled the country, not to mention the weakening government. It was around this time that Hitler was elected leader of the National Socialist party, and the timing of the Beerhall Putsch. "We're on fire" and "feels better than ever" for the party definitely applies.

1933 - Hitler takes power. He is a man, but also a they (The royal 'we', perhaps) in the sense that he alone controls an entire country ("family on my mind").

1945 - "the sea is high" and "heading into a crisis"? Couldn't be clearer.

Don't get me wrong, I love this song - I'm just poking fun at some people who can read anything out of anything at all!

This song is (to me, anyway) clearly a song to this fellow's son or daughter:

"I'm 33 for a moment Still the man, but you see I'm a they A kid on the way A family on my mind."

then:

"33 you’re on your way"

I think this song comes down to a man recollecting memories and giving examples of the future of his life to his child. Telling his kid that they have many years to come and to adventure. That he/she needs to slow down and realize that not everything has to happen right now. There is still time for them. Also, that at the age of 48 (33+15) dad still has time for him/her.

That's at least, my opinion. Moxy Madiera

Embracing Chaos, Practicing Stability, Smiling.

Living Life and Love in the Pursuit of Happiness.

This song gives a strong impression of fleeting time.

What are you doing with yourself, man? Go fight for that woman. Quit waiting around!

This song is beautiful. everything about it. This song is about finding your love when you are young, "there's never a wish better than this. When you only got 100 years to live " it discusses how if youre lucky you can find your love when you are young and there is nothing better than that because you only have 100 years and sometimes when you find that person 100 years just isnt enough "Dying for just another moment".

Wow! I freakin' love this song. No matter how you look at it, it has such a profound meaning! Personally, what I get out of it that, at the age of fifteen, he was a dreamer. He was always dreaming about his future, and he was living every current moment to its fullest. Throughout his life, however, as his dreams were realized, he gradually began to lose sight of this, and he ceased to treasure life. This becomes increasingly evident at the age of 45, where he faces a midlife crisis, and instead of treasuring every moment to its fullest, he wishes desperately he could return to his past states. But he comes to realize that he must come back to this state of dreaming and treasuring life. At least that's what I got out of it!

I think this song is about how teenagers all think being grown up will be so much better but in reality we need to make every day count cause it'll be over in the blink of an eye. And the ironic thing is that he's singing about how we only have 100 years. most people don't get 100 years even, so 15 is just the beginning and we need to appreciate every day. don't focus on how messed up your life is. live it and make it count.

I think this song covers the various stages of life very well. To me, the song progresses like this:

First, you're 15; you're "caught in between 10 and 20." You're not an adult, but you're certainly not a kid either. You're just dreaming about the girl/guy, and you just want to be with them

Then, you're 22. You've got your girl/guy, and you're going wild over them; "[you're] on fire, making [your] way back from Mars."

After that, you're 33. You're not just an individual - you've become a "we" because you've got a spouse and a developing family. Things are starting to change ("33 you're on your way" to me means that you're starting to realize that you're getting older; time is going by quicker).

And then, you're 45. You look back and see that so much of your life has already passed; you're crashing into a mid-life crisis. Again, things have changed.

And in what seems like the blink of an eye, 67 is gone. Your life is moving on; you're getting older even though you may not want to. You can't control it.

And then, you're 99. You're slipping away, and you're fifteen again in the sense that you're again dreaming about the girl/guy you want to be with - your spouse. But they're gone, they've passed on. And just like when you were 15, you just want to be with them.

The moral of this song, to me, is to live life to the fullest, to try to realize that time is going to fly by even if you have the desire to just be older. Treasure life, and enjoy every part of it, because it'll pass you in the blink of an eye.