Released 21 November 1969 Length 1:06 Writer(s) Justin Hayward | Recorded May–September 1969 Label Threshold Producer(s) Tony Clarke | |
"I'd Never Thought I'd Live to Be a Hundred" is a 1969 song by The Moody Blues, from their album To Our Children's Children's Children, and written by Justin Hayward.
The song is a short ballad with the theme of accomplishment and longevity. The realization of all that the narrator has accomplished makes it seem as if he has lived to be a hundred.
The sequel to the song, "I Never Thought I'd Live to be a Million", which lasts only half a minute, has the same theme, except that the narrator has now reached a million years of age. This indicates that the narrator is God.
Another Interpretation:
"I never thought I'd live to be a Hundred" is about growing and maturing and being thankful for the opportunity to reach well beyond expectations, given very humble beginnings.
"I Never thought I'd live to be a Million": This seems to be an extension of the same growth described in the first song. A person grows beyond mortal limits and becomes something more. Something maybe close(r) to God. "... I never thought I'd get to be the thing that all these other people see... look .. at .. me". I imagine a person has evolved to become a star.
And yet another interpretation. The first song is doing the speaking, not a human. The reference to "living to be a hundred" suggests that after some post-release time period, it (the song to which it is referring---not this song) has finally achieved top 100 status and now sits on a higher position than the majority of released music. It now has the perspective of seeing itself on top. The maker is not necessarily the writer or the band but is likely the label or the pre-Moodies contract signed by Hayward.
In the same vein, the "...million..." song is sung from the perspective of the first Moodies album to have sold a million copies. Obviously, over the entire extent of their careers, The Moody Blues have done very well in album sales. However, the first million-seller signifies a special accomplishment. This short little song pays tribute to this achievement through the voice of the album itself rather than The Moody Blues themselves.