A Hundred Years

Tracy Chapman's song 'A Hundred Years' delves into the emotional turmoil of longing and waiting for a loved one to return. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person who is deeply in love but is also suffering from the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with a strained relationship. The repeated plea for the loved one to come back home underscores the depth of the narrator's loneliness and desperation. The days without the loved one feel like 'a hundred years,' emphasizing the excruciating passage of time when one is in emotional pain.

The song also explores the theme of worry and the emotional toll it takes on the narrator. The lines 'How you make me worry baby / How you make me worry about you' highlight the constant state of anxiety the narrator is in. This worry is compounded by the fear of losing the loved one, as indicated by the lines 'Here I am I'm knowing / That I can't live without you.' The narrator's willingness to do 'most anything' to keep the love alive shows the extent of their emotional investment and vulnerability.

In the latter part of the song, the narrator's pride and self-respect come into play. Despite being a 'fool in love,' the narrator acknowledges their own worth and the possibility of moving on if the loved one does not return. The line 'Then I'll go find someone to worry about me / As much as I worry about you' serves as a poignant reminder that love should be reciprocal. This shift from desperation to a more self-empowered stance adds a layer of complexity to the song, making it not just a lament of lost love but also a declaration of self-worth and resilience.