THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

31-David Bowie-Five Years.

1972-It has never been released as a single in the UK.

Best Bit-At 2.50. In order to fully appreciate this song, plug your earpiece into your phone, and take a walk around town. While listening to the song, watch people going about their everyday business, but be careful not to stare though, because that would be rude.

David Bowie (see also best songs 807-440-334-302-209-186-118-47 and 5) & (see also for his production work 701-131 and 58) was born David Robert Jones on January 8th, 1947, in London, England, he died of liver cancer on January 10th, 2016, at the age of 69. Success for Bowie didn’t come quickly, after embarking on a professional musical career in 1963, he would then become a member of five different bands, before finally breaking through in the UK as a solo artist in 1968 with ‘Space Oddity,’ which gave him a Number 5 hit single. It was in 1965 that David Jones changed his stage name to David Bowie, mainly in order to avoid confusion with Davy Jones (1945-2012) of the American Pop group ‘The Monkees’ (see also best songs 121.) He chose the name Bowie after the 19th Century American pioneer James Bowie, (1796-1836) and the knife he had popularised. For the discography of David Bowie see best songs 5.

‘Five Years’ is the opening track on ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars,’ and was written by David Bowie, with the production by Ken Scott. The Album has been described as a loose ‘Concept Album,’ and ‘Rock Opera,’ The character Ziggy Stardust is a fictional androgynous and bisexual Rock star, who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending apocalyptic disaster. Ken Scott has said,’Ziggy Stardust’ was never discussed as a concept album from the start. We were recording a bunch of songs, some of them happened to fit together, some didn’t work.’

‘Five Years’ is about someone having just been told that the world has only got five more years until it destructs. The narrator is walking through the market square observing people’s reactions to the horrific news, some lose self control, while others try to remain calm. As what he has just heard is slowly beginning to sink in he observes how everybody is different, but realises that really we are all the same. At first the situation feels very surreal, but as reality kicks in, he finds it difficult to control his emotions. Bowie has stated that he chose five years as the length of time following a dream he had in 1971, in which his late father came to him and told him that he had only five years left to live, and that he must never fly again.

The three other musicians who played on ‘Five Years’ and it’s parent Album were Mick Ronson, (1946-1993) (guitar) (see also best songs 661-405-131 and 58) Trevor Bolder, (1950-2013) (bass) and Mick ‘Woody’ Woodmansey, (drums) who as Bowie’s backing band, were called the ‘Spiders from Mars.’ Woodmansey has explained his part in the development of ‘Five Years,’ ‘What was wanted was a drum beat to introduce the song itself, and to set an atmosphere for the whole Album. The idea of the song is that the world is ending in five years, so it was about finding a drumbeat that got that across, which was quite a challenge. I remember going through drum rolls, cymbal crashes, and I kind of thought: ‘Well if it’s the end of the world… I can’t be bothered! Haha!’ You wouldn’t be excited and you wouldn’t feel like doing a lot. So, that beat came out of sort of despair and apathy, and then when the band comes in and David starts singing, it just feels right. It felt like a really good beginning, so I was quite proud of that. I nailed the brief by all reports!”

‘Pushing through the market square, so many mothers sighing. News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in. News guy wept and told us Earth was really dying. Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying.’