🕯 About the Song
“A Thousand Years” is what happens when a vampire romance accidentally spawns one of the greatest wedding songs of all time. Christina Perri wrote it after reading Breaking Dawn, and somehow captured that trembling, timeless feeling of loving someone so much it feels like forever — and maybe it actually is.
It’s slow, sincere, and heartbreakingly simple — no tricks, no flash, just steady devotion wrapped in melody. On ukulele, it turns into a lullaby for grown-ups: haunting, beautiful, and easier to play than it sounds.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
We’ll use G major — it fits perfectly for singing and keeps those bright uke tones ringing clear.
You’ll need G, D, Em, C, Am, and Bm.
Verse progression: [G] – [Em] – [C] – [D]
Pre-chorus: [Am] – [Em] – [D]
Chorus: [G] – [D] – [Em] – [C]
Strumming pattern: down–down–up–up–down–up around 65–70 bpm, or use a simple down-strum ballad style for the verse and open up in the chorus.
This song lives and dies on control — let the pauses breathe.
Try arpeggiating gently (pluck 4–3–2–1) during the first verse, and add full strums as the intensity grows.
The final chorus should sound like light spilling through a window.
Singing tip: Perri sings just behind the beat — that slight hesitation is what makes it ache. Keep it soft; don’t belt. Let your voice tremble if it wants to.
💡 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- It took Christina Perri six months to write the lyrics because she wanted them to feel completely timeless.
- The song’s been used in millions of wedding videos — it’s basically a global vow renewal.
- It re-entered the Billboard charts years later thanks to TikTok and cover versions.
- Perri re-recorded it with her daughter in 2021 — officially making it the most adorable sequel ever.
🌈 Final Word
“A Thousand Years” is about patience, faith, and the terrifying beauty of real love. On ukulele, it becomes something almost meditative — every strum a heartbeat, every pause a held breath.
If you ever needed proof that the uke can break hearts as easily as it cheers them up, this song is it.
