In The Blink of An Eye:
An Analysis Of The Passage Of Time In
“100 Years” by John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting)
Society stresses the importance of living life to the fullest in order to receive ultimate
happiness and satisfaction, because the youth tend not feel content with their present age
and situation. Nevertheless by living life in the moment the discontent and desire to grow
old gradually transforms into a yearning to be younger because it is human nature to want
what one cannot have. In the song “100 Years,” John Ondrasik reminisces about his
progression through life as he realizes that in his adolescent years, he always dreams of
being older, but towards his last days, he realizes the value of youth. The song is broken
into verses dedicated to different areas of Ondrasik’s life by exploring his emotions and
thoughts as he ages.
Right from his adolescent years, Ondrasik is unable to appreciate and indulge in the
pleasures of his current age. This inability to enjoy life proves to be lamentable later on in
his life. In the song’s first stanza, he says that he is “15 for a moment./Caught in between
10 and 20,/and… just dreaming.” He is dreaming of being an older man and going into
adulthood but unfortunately, when that comes, he dislikes the fact that he is bound to a
family. He is “33 for a moment./Still the man, but… a they.” Ondrasik has lost the
individuality and freedom that comes with being single. When he was fifteen, he wanted to
