Five Years



"Five Years" is a song written by David Bowie, recorded on 15 November 1971, and released as the opening track on the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in 1972.

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.

The "market square", referred to in the opening line, is Aylesbury market square, in Buckinghamshire, England. Bowie debuted both the Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars albums at Friars Club, in the town, and is reputed to have formed the Spiders there, following the "Hunky Dory" gig.

Allmusic describe the track as "easily one of the greatest album-opening songs ever".

Live versions

 * Bowie played the song on the BBC radio show Sounds of the 70s: Bob Harris on 18 January 1972. This was broadcast on 7 February 1972 and released in 2000 on the album Bowie at the Beeb.
 * Bowie performed the song on Old Grey Whistle Test on 8 February 1972. This performance, broadcast on television later the same day, is included on the DVD version of Best of Bowie.
 * A version recorded at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on 20 October 1972 has been released on Santa Monica '72 and Live Santa Monica '72.
 * Bowie performed the song on the Dinah Shore show in 1976.
 * A live performance recorded on 23 March 1976, in a medley with "Life on Mars?", was released on Live Nassau Coliseum '76, part of the 2010 reissues of Station to Station.
 * A spring 1978 performance from the "Heroes" tour was released on Stage.
 * The track was to be the closing number of Bowie's 1985 Live Aid set at London's Wembley Stadium but was dropped the day before the concert to allow time for the broadcast of the famous appeal video featuring "Drive" by The Cars as its soundtrack.
 * Bowie performed the song live during his 2003 Reality Tour, and a performance from November of that year was released on the A Reality Tour DVD in 2004, and included on the A Reality Tour album, released in 2010.
 * The track was performed by Bowie with Arcade Fire at the 2005 Fashion Rocks concert in New York as well as "Life On Mars?" and Arcade Fire's own song "Wake Up". These recordings were made available on the iTunes Music Store in a virtual live EP.
 * The song was taken as title of the BBC2 documentary David Bowie - Five Years - The Making of an Icon in 2013.

Personnel

 * David Bowie: lead vocals, acoustic guitar, string arrangements
 * Mick Ronson: piano, backing vocals, electric guitar
 * Trevor Bolder: bass guitar
 * Mick Woodmansey: drums

Other releases

 * The compilations The Best of David Bowie (Japan 1974) and Starman (Russia 1989).

Cover versions

 * Jeanne Added- Wiebo (2015)
 * Aslan - CD Single (1998)
 * Born Ruffians - "Paper Bag Records vs. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" (2012)
 * Christian Beach - Hero: The Main Man Records Tribute to David Bowie (2007)
 * Cyclefly - "Blockbuster: A Glitter Glam Rock Experience" (2000).
 * Dubious Ranger - Butchers Volume 1 (2009)
 * The Enemy - Live Recording 12 March 2007
 * Endless - "The Dark Side Of David Bowie: A Tribute To David Bowie" (1997)
 * Fish - "Songs from the Mirror" (1993) (an album of covers of his favourite songs)
 * Marian Gold – (United) (1999)
 * Golden Smog - Live Recording 16 April 1996
 * Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions (2005)
 * Mo Kenney - "Mo Kenney" (2012)
 * Brian Molko - Live on France2 (2004)
 * Camille O'Sullivan - Live @ The Olympia (2008)
 * Old 97's - "Mimeograph" EP (2010)
 * The Outcasts - 5-track mini-LP, "Seven Deadly Sins", "Blood and Thunder" & "Seven Deadly Sins" CD (1997)
 * The Polyphonic Spree - the track was made available on the band's website. They occasionally played it while supporting Bowie on his Reality tour.
 * The Postmarks - By The Numbers (2009)
 * Frank Sidebottom - "Frank's Firm Favourites"
 * Techno Cowboy - The Ziggy Stardust Omnichord Album (2009)
 * Uncredited live performance included as a "bonus track" on the tribute album ".2 Contamination: A Tribute to David Bowie" (2006)
 * Phish - performed this song live, 10/31/16 in Las Vegas, Nevada