Eternal love and loneliness expressed by the singer Cristina Perri in the song "A

thousand years"

How does the singer Cristina Perri define the eternal love and loneliness in her

song “A thousand years”?

English: B

Category: 2b

Word count: 3928

Content:

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...3

Chapter I: Theoriacal framework …….................................…………………...4

1.1 Biography of the singer Cristina Perri …….........……………………………...4

1.2 The love ………..………………………………………………………………….7

1.3 The loneliness ……….………………..……………………………..………….14

Chapter II Analysis of the song ‘’A Thousand Years’’ ….……………………...9

2.1 The love on the song ‘’A Thousand Years’’ ……………………………….…...9

2.2 The loneliness on the song ‘’A Thousand Years’’ ……………..…...………..11

2.3 Cristina Perri and her style literary …………………………………………… 12

2.4 Thousand Years ……………………………..………………………….……….14

Conclusion: ………………………………………………………………………...15

References: ………………………………………………………………………...17
 INTRODUCTION:

Throughout history, and as time has gone by, people have tried to give

different definitions to "love", however it is almost impossible to define

something abstract that we can only feel it, but not see it. There are authors

who give different meanings to love, as an emotion, feeling, even define it as

something spiritual. Love can be defined as a complex and subjective deep

feeling towards ourselves, towards something or someone. Self-love promotes

getting closer to oneself and getting to know oneself, also love can generate

needs within the person, such as security, protection, connection and can be

related to attachment to the person. Loneliness can be described as the destiny

to be alone, in the same way loneliness can be recognized as the feeling of

sorrow or melancholy that you feel for the absence of something or someone

that we long to be with you; however, loneliness is also considered as

subjective, since it can only be seen but not felt. Loneliness can be expressed

in many ways, sometimes you may feel lonely even if you have someone's

company or feel lonely without having someone's company.

This research aims to discover the perspective and definition of love and

loneliness of the American singer Cristina Perri when creating and performing

the song "A thousand years", that is, to find out how she defines love and

loneliness in the song that was released in October 2011. It is said that the song

"A thousand years" was created to be the main song of a romance movie The

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.

 This research is important because I want to discover how a singer gives

a definition of love from the different factors that may influence her to create it,

so that I can infer how she adapts to the concept and shapes it in the song

generating different perspectives and different ways that we can understand the

message through it.

American singer Cristina Perri defines love and loneliness in the song " A

thousand years", since the song is based on the love that the singer has been

waiting all her life to fall in love besides the singer expresses in the song literary

resources such as the metaphor to mention "for a thousand years" and she

plans to do it "for a thousand more".

CHAPTER I: Theoriacal Framework

1.1 Biography of the singer Cristina Perri

Christina Judith Perri or Cristina Perri, as she is known in the music world,

is a singer of American origin. She was born on August 19, 1986 in the city of

Bensalem, Pennsylvania, United States. She is currently 36 years old. She is

considered one of the best voices in the United States, besides having gone

through a divorce; she got married once again, which through this achieved her

dream of being a mother for the first time of a beautiful baby girl.

1.2 The love

With the passage of time it has been tried to give different definitions to the

concept of "love" from the perspective of each author and the meaning it has

for each of them, however different meanings have been detected. There

are authors who consider it as something abstract, that is to say that it can
 be felt but not seen, and it could even be said that it is magic. In reality, no

exact definition has been found for this word, nor has a manual of love been

written. Love can be given in different ways, such as the love you have for

your classmates, love for your pets, love for your family and more. It can be

said that love also promotes care, that is to say to avoid falling in the same

place where we were hurt by someone or something.

According to Robert Sternberg, who was the one who proposed the

"Triangular Theory of Love", representing its components in the vertices of a

triangle, for this according to the theory, there are 3 key components of love,

which are the ones that basically describe love in a different way as:

Intimacy: refers to the point of union between your feelings with the

other person. Especially it has to do with the level of trust that you have to bring

to the limit of being able to open up to the other person, that is, to be able to

show, the sad moments, our degree of sensitivity, emotions, doubts, fears and

feelings. Intimacy is also considered as the engine that promotes social

relationships and the most significant affective bonds in our lives, since from

this we develop different aspects that allow us to have security and privacy

within ourselves. The theme of intimacy arises from the need to share our inner

world with the other, in this way we develop trust with the other, which

generates to be able to have security over this. (Reoyo, 2022)

Passion: It is that sensation that appears inside us when we feel love. In

many cases it can be determined as the first phase of love, the "falling in love".

Passion contains a desire that the relationship, love and the sense of union with
 the other person remain forever, that is to say, it is the desire to want

something forever, because it implies ways of feeling understood and accepted

totally by the other person, developing aspects of trust, which causes clinging to

that person forever. In addition, it is considered as an expression of affection

and warmth, happiness and sharing of pleasurable activities, physical

closeness, excitement and sexual enjoyment. (Reoyo, 2022)

Commitment: it is linked to the capacity and dedication that exists

between you and the person you love; this can include the factor of time and the

care given in the relationship. The word commitment in many occasions is used

to describe an obligation that has been contracted or a word already given, that

is to say that it is the action of executing something already shaped and fulfill it

as it was described. Sometimes, a commitment is a promise or a declaration of

principles, which basically serves to give the word to the other person, that is to

say that you commit yourself to perform such action without failing the person

who put his trust in you. (Reoyo, 2022)

However, there are other authors that determine more types of love, such

as:

2.2 Loneliness

The loneliness can be defined as the fate or circumstances of being alone at

the level of lacking some companionship. Similarly, loneliness can be

defined as a feeling of grief or melancholy that is experienced by the

absence of someone or something that we would like to be with us at the

times we need it most. Loneliness can also be described in a subjective

way, that is, we can feel lonely being in the company of other people, or not

feeling lonely even if we do not have the company of anyone. The issue of
loneliness can occur voluntarily or involuntarily (gtresonline, 2020). To

describe loneliness and classify it in different ways, there are different types

that differ from each other, but among them all cover the same objective,

among them we have:

Voluntary solitude: It refers to a choice where you decide to

separate yourself, temporarily or permanently, from other people for different

reasons. In this way, the individual is free to choose the way in which he/she

does not feel lonely, either by developing artistic, creative, intellectual or

spiritual themes, where he/she can be with him/herself and get to know

him/herself better. (Coelho, 2019)

Involuntary solitude: Is due to impositions or circumstances that in

most cases are undesirable. It can be considered loneliness for people who

are in prison, violent psychiatric patients or patients with highly contagious

diseases. Similarly, loneliness can be described as a problem of the

individual not being able to establish social or loving relationships with other

people. This is a type of loneliness that creates unpleasant feelings, such as

anxiety and distress, and can lead to depression and sadness. (Coelho,

2019)

Psychological loneliness: In psychology, loneliness is described as

a feeling that comes from the subjective perception of the individual who

establishes relationships in the world that are not as he/she would like them

to be. Loneliness can also be described as a feeling that affects self-esteem.

This type of loneliness usually occurs in people who do not have an

excellent ability to socialize with people in a good way, it is present in people

 who are shy. Loneliness can be classified as social or emotional. (Coelho,

2019)

Social loneliness: refers to the fact that the person involved does not

feel that he/she belongs to a group of friends, where he/she feels safe to tell

his/her things, experiences and concerns, making it difficult for him/her to

establish relationships with other people in a healthy and functional way.

(Linares, 2020)

Emotional loneliness: refers to the absence of a relationship with

another person that produces feelings of well-being, satisfaction and

security. As such, emotional loneliness is the loneliness we experience

when we have lost a very dear or close person. (Coelho, 2019)

Chapter II Analysis of the song ‘’A Thousand Years’’

The love on the song “A Thousand Years

Throughout the song, different resources have been developed that have

facilitated the understanding of the lyrics of the song and what Cristina wants to

convey, which are the feelings that have influenced her and that have

subsequently influenced the lyrics of the song. Starting with the feeling of love,

which is reflected in different aspects within the song, such as eternal love, love

at first sight. Where Cristina, makes reference to these terms in " I have loved

you for a thousand years", it is here where the singer makes clear an eternal

love towards this person.

In "A Thousand Years", Cristina Perri describes love as a feeling that

transcends time and space. For the singer, true love is that which endures

despite adversity and survives even after death. In the lyrics of the song, Perri
says: "I've loved for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand years more,"

suggesting that her love is so intense and lasting that not even death can

separate her from her beloved. The idea of eternal love has been recurring in

literature and popular culture for centuries. In Greek mythology, for example,

the love between Orpheus and Eurydice is so strong that Orpheus descends

into hell to retrieve his beloved.

As the song develops, different feelings and resources that help to

contextualize and understand the lyrics of the song become evident, it

expresses feelings such as courage, anguish, fear, dependence, loneliness

and an eternal love, a lasting love that is something surreal, where it refers

to what a person transmitted within it. “How to be brave”, within this line it

specifies the fact of being brave, brave from the fact of how to bear loving

someone who does not exist or that there is not something mutual within

both people, that is to love without being loved, how to be brave in this

situation, how to bear loving in this way, how to love someone without

harming yourself. Besides the feeling of courage, there is fear, but a

subjective fear, which can be seen in: How can I love seeing that you are

alone

But seeing that you are alone, here we refer to the fear that exists in

the possible consequences of loving someone who does not love you, fear

of giving everything for a person and not receiving the same from the other

party, fear of giving everything for a person and simply not receiving

anything, fear to endure living with a love alone, love that generated an

illusion. Anguish is one of the feelings that is also highlighted in Perri's love,

when she mentions "I died every day waiting for you", where Perri wants to
express the anguish she felt waiting for the other person, waiting for him to

love her in the same way, the anguish of waiting for him to arrive, where with

the term "I died" he refers to the longtime of waiting that he gave to this

person, as if he was expressing a tiredness in waiting for this person to

arrive in his life and to be able to complete Cristina's feelings in the air.

Perri expresses the dependency as something real, since he was

really waiting for this person in order to try to form a situation in both of them

that would lead them to a love situation, this can also be observed in " I have

died every day waiting for you ", where he refers to the dependency of

waiting every day for the person, This is why he also makes a mention in

"Darling, don't be afraid", making reference to a pleading and a forcing of the

relationship, justifying the absence of this person as a fear, causing in this

way, that there is a dependency to the forging of this future relationship.

Finally, what stands out the most in the song thousand years, is the

eternal love that the singer offers to another person, that is to say, it is

related to an illusion that she suffers, as if it were a platonic love, this can be

affirmed in “I have loved you for a thousand years” , here is where allusion is

made to an eternal love, that in front of the different circumstances and an

unrequited love that Perri suffers, she swears to love the person for a long

time, for the true sentimental attachment that she felt before another person,

However, this last posture of Perri, leaves much to think about, as it is that

you can really get attached to a person even though this is not reciprocated,

it is great to see how feelings can often depend on a person and the

advantages and disadvantages that most of the time a love leaves.

1.2 The loneliness on the song “A Thousand Years”

However, in the song Cristina does not only address feelings of eternal

love, as the song continues, she manages to express in some verses and lines

feelings of loneliness, which explains how she felt after waiting for her love to be

reciprocated, but based on this is how melancholy also manages to be part of

loneliness to explain "being alone" referring to being only one person in the

relationship or feeling an absent love that often is not reciprocated.

Within the song "A Thousand Years", Cristina Perri does not explicitly

define feelings of loneliness within the lyrics of her song, however, she gives us

explicit links, which can be interpreted in different ways but which allude to the

loneliness before experiencing a true and lasting love, which she is still waiting

for, highlighting in her the hope, longing and dependence that this emptiness of

love leaves her, The song also talks about the wait of more than a thousand

years to find love and the person who will help her to fill those emptinesses of

love that she has experienced in the past, and mainly what she finds in this

person, is that he will help her to heal these emptinesses and find the person

she has always waited for, where no matter how long she waits for her lasting

love.

Based on this, within the song there are elements that are related to

loneliness, which allow us to answer the research question previously

proposed, where thanks to the composition of the lyrics of the song allows us to

recognize the links that allow us to recognize how Perri expresses loneliness

within the song, however, these links can lead us to identify Cristina's feelings

of loneliness and longing for the person she was waiting for so long, but when
she feels the notion of the passing of time and without being able to obtain the

presence of the loved one mentioned with so much illusion, she can manifest

feelings of loneliness and isolation, which generates this feeling, generating an

emptiness of love, expressing in this way the loneliness that Cristina ironically

transmits.

Along with this, we find the strength of love over time, also known as persistent

love, which refers to the fact that Perri's love can last for more than a thousand

years. This idea can convey the belief that love can overcome the loneliness

that can be felt for very long periods of time, in which the initial love is

transformed into a force that transcends the sense of loneliness and isolation

that can be felt when the love or relationship is almost impossible to manage

and ensures that this love endures over time so that it can be mastered as "true

love".

However, after having lived through different love situations that have caused

Perri to believe and trust again that true love does exist, it is something that

goes beyond the limits and that many times it does exist and this is evidenced

by Cristina in the song when she mentions "From the beginning, I knew I had

found a home" in lines 1 and 2, where she claims to have found the person who

has provoked a different thought in her, who has shown her that not all people

are as we are usually used to idealize them as liars, However, in the song, Perri

is in charge of demonstrating the opposite, where in line 6 she mentions that

"All my doubts suddenly disappear", referring to the change of mind that this

person left in her, because, he showed himself different from the other people

that Perri was used to deal with, that is, a different attitude and thinking,
 however, the impression that this new person left in Perri guided her to feel

these emotions and feelings that led her to compose the lyrics of this song.

2.3 Cristina Perri and her style

Cristina Perri's song "A Thousand Years" is known for its romantic themes and

its connection to the "Twilight" movie series. In this song, Perri reflects on

eternal love and loneliness, two recurring themes in literature and music for

centuries. In "A Thousand Years," eternal love is described as a love that

transcends time and lasts forever. The lyrics convey a deep and lasting

connection between two individuals, suggesting that their love is timeless and

unchanging. The idea of eternity is emphasized by the repetition of the phrase

"a thousand years," implying that their love will last for countless lifetimes.

Loneliness, on the other hand, is presented as a longing for love and

companionship. The lyrics imply that, before finding this eternal love, the singer

had experienced a sense of isolation and emptiness. The song expresses the

desire to be united with a soul mate, someone who can fill the void and put an

end to the feeling of loneliness.

2.4 A Thousand Years

In "A Thousand Years", Cristina Perri joins this literary tradition to express

her vision of true love. In contrast to eternal love, Cristina Perri also reflects

on loneliness in her song "A Thousand Years". The singer describes

loneliness as an overwhelming feeling that can invade us even when we are

surrounded by people. In the lyrics of the song, Perri says: "All the time I've

been alone, with you near me, I feel like I've been waiting for your call."
 CONCLUSION:

The song "A Thousand Years" performed by singer/songwriter

Cristina Perri is an emotional exploration of universal themes such as

eternal love and loneliness. Throughout the song, Perri weaves a narrative

that addresses the timeless nature of love and the emotions that accompany

both the desire for enduring love and the feeling of isolation.

As for eternal love, Cristina Perri paints an image of a love that

transcends time and hardship. The idea of "a thousand years" symbolizes

immense duration, suggesting that the love she describes is so powerful and

enduring that it could persist throughout the centuries. Eternal love is

expressed through lines such as "I have loved for a thousand years" and

"Till the day we stand face to face," hinting at a love that is capable of facing

all challenges and surviving even through the toughest trials. This depiction

of eternal love connects to a deep human longing for lasting connections

and relationships that stand the test of time.

The song also suggests that love has the capacity to overcome

loneliness. The message that love can last "a thousand years" and the idea

that someone can transform perspective and fill those empty spaces point to

the idea that love is an antidote to emotional loneliness. The song paints an

emotional picture in which love becomes a powerful force that transcends

time and hardship, and has the potential to fill the gaps that loneliness can

create in a person's life. In addition, Cristina Perri's "A Thousand Years"

unfolds a poignant perspective on eternal love, revealing a deep connection

that transcends time and circumstance. Although the song does not offer a

literal definition of eternal love, the lyrics and emotive melody allow for
 profound meanings to be drawn on this theme. The song suggests that

eternal love is a powerful force that is not limited by the passage of time.

The image of waiting for "a thousand years" encapsulates the idea of a

patient and constant waiting for a love that endures through the ages. This

waiting implies a deep commitment and a trust that love will endure.

Ultimately, "A Thousand Years" becomes an emotional ballad that

captures the complexity of eternal love and loneliness. Cristina Perri

succeeds in conveying the depth of human emotions through her emotive

voice and the song's poetic lyrics. The combination of the aspiration for

eternal love and the reality of loneliness creates an emotional tension that

resonates with the audience, connecting us to our own struggles and

longings in the realm of relationships and love.

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