"A Hundred Years" by Tracy Chapman: Meanings and perspective compared to the other songs in her repertoire.

“A Hundred Years” may be confidential and her least-streamed track from the Crossroads album, but its raw emotion and quiet dignity echo through Tracy Chapman’s most powerful songs.

"A Hundred Years," the eighth song on Tracy Chapman's second album, Crossroads, is the least streamed song on Spotify by far.

The total number of streams to date for each of the songs from Tracy Chapman's album Crossroads on Spotify

It's the least streamed song on Spotify, yet it's my favorite. Yes, I know what you're going to say: that it's always my favorite song. I pulled the same trick with "3,000 Miles" from the album Where You Live. And indeed, on the album Crossroads, it is "A Hundred Years." But this editorial project's alphabetical song schedule means I'm lucky. I'm focusing on two of my favorite songs first. 🙃

🎧 As always, before diving in, take a moment to revisit the song, whether it’s by spinning your Crossroads vinyl, popping in the CD or cassette, streaming it on your favorite platform, or simply hitting play on the official YouTube audio 👇

The main themes of the song "A Hundred Years"

“A Hundred Years” is a love song about the conflicting feelings experienced in a troubled romantic relationship. The lyrics convey a deep sense of emotional dependence and blind devotion. They also express the anxiety about the other's absence, making solitude unbearable. Despite this, the lyrics reveal a desire to preserve oneself out of personal pride. The song captures the internal conflict between the desire to wait and the desire to move on to another love. These are recurring themes, and we can draw parallels with other songs in her repertoire.

1. Longing and Separation

In “A Hundred Years,” she (the character) yearns for the return of a lover who has been physically and/or emotionally absent. The line, “These few days feel like a hundred years” highlights how deeply the separation is felt. It is felt like a decade.