David Bowie » Tracks » Five Years

David Bowie – Five Years (4:42)

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About This Track

“Five Years” is a song written by David Bowie and released in . It was the opening track on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars.

The song tells of an Earth doomed to destruction in five years and the aftermath of this knowledge. Bowie is rumoured to have chosen the length of time, five years, as a result of a dream in which his deceased father told him he must never fly again and would die in five years.

Various live versions of the song have been recorded:

Bowie played the song at the BBC show In Concert: John Peel on June 3, 1971. This was broadcast on June 20, 1971 and released in 2000 on the album Bowie at the Beeb: The Best of the BBC Radio Sessions.

A version recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 20 October 1972 was released on Santa Monica ‘72.

Another version recorded on the “Heroes” tour at the Philadelphia Spectrum on April 28 or April 29, 1978, was released on Stage.

Bowie performed the song live on Old Grey Whistle Test. It is included on the DVD version of Best Of Bowie.

The track was performed by Bowie with The Arcade Fire at the 2005 Fashion Rocks concert in New York as well as Life on Mars? and the The Arcade Fire’s own song Wake Up. These recordings were made available on the iTunes Music Store in a virtual live EP.
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  • BoBs933

    Лучшая у него

    last month

  • Jamada987

    wow.

    March 2012

  • Juputu

    One of the best album beginnings ever. Pulls you in instantly. So much feeling put in this. Wonderful!

    February 2012

  • JackMcFearless

    For me probably Earth's best song from space.

    February 2012

  • wolfmart

    for me probably bowie's best song... [5 ]

    February 2012

  • FinckBh

    for me probably bowie's best song... [4]

    February 2012

  • tomrud73

    cried so much his face was, so i knew he was not lying

    February 2012

  • sarahbianeck

    for me probably bowie's best song... [3]

    January 2012

  • biih_s

    for me probably bowie's best song... [2]

    January 2012

  • itsnotoveryet27

    today I started 'doors radio' and I get overdosed with classics like this one. recommended to everyone, who's really interested in Music

    January 2012

  • MsPauline

    Five years, thats all we've got...

    January 2012

  • WhiskyPlease

    .....amazing

    January 2012

  • DannyB01

    I absolutely LOVE this section. Still raise an eyebrow at the lines "If the black hadn't have pulled her off" and "a queer threw up at the sight of that" though. Can forgive it for being 40 years old though I guess!

    January 2012

  • crawlpalmetto

    Just... perfection? The best opening track in existence? I love it. "I kiss you, you're beautiful, I want you to walk". Such passion and urgency.

    January 2012

  • nf13

    A girl my age went off ahead..

    December 2011

  • vaughnvhalen

    WoW !! Amazing,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

    December 2011

  • Anti-Pretty

    Brian Molko did a great version of this on a german chat show - look for it on youtube...

    December 2011

  • corcinodiego

    drinking milk shakes cold and long...

    December 2011

  • Bliss8117

    Definitely Bowie's best song for me.

    November 2011

  • erduprince

    for me probably bowie's best song...

    November 2011
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