Key
From Candor
2006
I worked on this originally in 2006, although the actual idea to make the song is much older than that.
100, originally titled “100 Years”, was a very specific project I started, always intended to have lyrics. It was inspired by a poem written by a close friend of mine by the same name and the premise of the poem was that nothing mattered because we would all be dead in a hundred years. A dark concept to be sure, but I thought the poem could be retooled into an industrial or darkwave song.
At some point, I was approached by a member of a local theatre community who was keen to write and produce a musical based on The Terminator. They had head my music and wanted to know if I could try my hand at writing some songs. That is most likely when the bulk of this track was built, along with a revival of my other dark track, Bloodwork. My involvement with that project ultimately didn’t amount to anything so both these tracks were not completed at that time.
100 Years was one of those songs that I began, reloaded, played around with and then closed countless times over the years, and I simply chalked it up to being ‘not the right time’ to be inspired to complete it. However, in the spring of 2023, suddenly I was able to get deep into it and begin a new base track from scratch. The real hurdle for me was while I had for some time the chorus chords worked out, I could not figure out how to resolve verse chords to the choruses. This was the main reason I had previously kept shelving it. But in June, I was able to get it to a point where it sounded great. Then the lyrics, inexplicably, were completed in less than two hours.
So, in its current form, 100 is a song very much still in the vein of the original poem, but it is more of a lesson in living your life to the fullest. Also the idea that seemingly contrasting statements exist, such as “Everything matters, so nothing matters / Nothing matters, so everything matters”. Lastly, it is about not caring whether people judge you based on your life decisions, because in 100 years, is it really going to matter to anyone?
100 Years
Key
A chip tune from 2006 which bears little resemblance to anything produced later. Unworthy of publishing.
100 (Demo)
Key
The 2023 album demo, with vocals and full production. To be released shortly.
Credits
written, produced and arranged by Key.
Lyrics
Walking down a familiar hallway Wondering why is it you always Find yourself in a situation That requires some kind of explanation All the doors beside you open Floods of people approach you hoping That you will catalogue and itemize The things you do But you don't have to answer all these questions No need to listen to all the suggestions And try remembering this one simple thing You only get so much time on this earth And once it's done, what's it all worth? Live in the moment and time will tell As time is passing by and by The universe will ask you why Will you need to justify in one hundred years Look at yourself, you're a walking discrepancy Can't make a choice for fear of irrelevancy So you just go with the wind whichever way it blows I'm not sure why you think it should matter So don't listen to all their clatter In the end whatever path you choose will be right Three hundred million meters per second That's the speed of light and I reckon When your inner light reaches deep outer space No one out there will care about your choices And time will have silenced all the voices Who disapprove of the way you live your life As time is passing by and by The universe will ask you why Will you need to justify in one hundred years When you look beyond the sky And you sound your battle cry Does the feeling amplify for one hundred years Make your mark, sing your own tune Break your records, shoot for the moon Your happiness and your love is all you've got Life is moving at increasing velocity And I don't care to satisfy curiosity I'd rather focus on the way I want to spend my time When you look at the bigger picture The universe is a consummate trickster And everything you know won't even be a memory, so... Looking out and looking in If you lose or if you win No one will care about your sin In 100 years As time is passing by and by The universe will ask you why Will you need to justify in one hundred years When you look beyond the sky And you sound your battle cry Does the feeling amplify for one hundred years