"To me marriage is for five or ten years"
About this Quote
Marriage, in Cher's framing, isn't a sacrament or a finish line. It's a lease with a renewal option. That blunt time limit sounds flippant on purpose: she uses the shock of it to puncture the default fantasy that love naturally matures into permanence if you just want it hard enough. The line works because it refuses to apologize for realism, and because it treats romance the way modern life already treats everything else - careers, cities, identities - as something you iterate.
The subtext is less "commitment is bad" than "honesty is kinder than pretending". Cher came of age in a culture that sold women a particular arc: find a man, secure the ring, endure. Her own public history - a high-profile partnership with Sonny Bono, fame that magnified every crack, reinvention after reinvention - makes the remark feel earned rather than edgy. She isn't theorizing; she's testifying.
There's also a quietly feminist power move here. By naming five or ten years, she shifts the conversation from moral failure ("You couldn't make it last") to fit ("We changed"). She normalizes the idea that relationships have seasons, and that choosing to exit can be as adult as choosing to stay. Coming from a pop icon who has outlasted entire eras, it's a reminder that longevity isn't one-size-fits-all: sometimes the most mature thing you can do is stop worshipping permanence and start negotiating terms.
The subtext is less "commitment is bad" than "honesty is kinder than pretending". Cher came of age in a culture that sold women a particular arc: find a man, secure the ring, endure. Her own public history - a high-profile partnership with Sonny Bono, fame that magnified every crack, reinvention after reinvention - makes the remark feel earned rather than edgy. She isn't theorizing; she's testifying.
There's also a quietly feminist power move here. By naming five or ten years, she shifts the conversation from moral failure ("You couldn't make it last") to fit ("We changed"). She normalizes the idea that relationships have seasons, and that choosing to exit can be as adult as choosing to stay. Coming from a pop icon who has outlasted entire eras, it's a reminder that longevity isn't one-size-fits-all: sometimes the most mature thing you can do is stop worshipping permanence and start negotiating terms.
Quote Details
| Topic | Marriage |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Cher. (2026, January 17). To me marriage is for five or ten years. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/to-me-marriage-is-for-five-or-ten-years-44684/
Chicago Style
Cher. "To me marriage is for five or ten years." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/to-me-marriage-is-for-five-or-ten-years-44684/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"To me marriage is for five or ten years." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/to-me-marriage-is-for-five-or-ten-years-44684/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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