Wiki
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Length
7:28
The first track off of 1982’s Pornography, The Cure open up their gothic “piece de resistance” with an innovative wildly flanging guitar, and African polyrhythmics. Smith’s opening words: “It doesn’t matter if we all die” are a sampling of the bleak existentialism and in many cases pessimism that will dot the album. The song is about the drollness of post industrial life and at some points a parallel to the book 1984 by George Orwell in allusions to police patrolling streets under the night and shooting rebels down.
While Smith has never come out and said that the song (or its title) were inspired by The ‘Hundred Years War’, it should be noted that The Hundred Years War was a long-running bloody conflict between England and France about which family line should have the French throne. It is possible that the song’s metaphors of personal suffering are being compared to the Hundred Years War (or simply its title).
“One Hundred Years” showed up on the 10" single and double 7" gatefold single of “The Hanging Garden” (often labeled as A Single). However, a UK promotional 7" was released that put “One Hundred Years” on the A-side and “The Hanging Garden” as its B-side.
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