Five Years
David Bowie Lyrics

Pushing through the market square
Navigating life's chaotic journey

So many mothers sighing (sighing)
The world is in despair

News had just come over
A shock of reality had just hit us

We had five years left to cry in (cry in)
The end is near and we're left to mourn

News guy wept and told us
Even the messenger was crying

Earth was really dying (dying)
Our planet is deteriorating before our eyes

Cried so much his face was wet
The news hit him hard

Then I knew he was not lying (lying)
I realized the gravity of the situation

I heard telephones, opera house, favorite melodies
Recalling all kinds of memories

I saw boys, toys, electric irons and TV's
Remembering the materialistic world we created

My brain hurt like a warehouse, it had no room to spare
Overwhelmed with thoughts and memories

I had to cram so many things to store everything in there
Trying to hold onto every moment

And all the fat, skinny people
Different types of people

And all the tall, short people
All shapes and sizes

And all the nobody people
All the unknowns

And all the somebody people
All the knowns

I never thought I'd need so many people
Reflecting on the importance of human connections

A girl my age went off her head
A tragic incident involving a young girl

Hit some tiny children
Innocent lives were harmed

If the Black hadn't have pulled her off
Without help, the situation could have been worse

I think she would have killed them
The girl's actions were unimaginable

A soldier with a broken arm
An injured fighter struggling to go on

Fixed his stare to the wheels of a Cadillac
A symbol of the shallow world we created

A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest
A display of religious devotion

And a queer threw up at the sight of that
Disgusted by what he saw

I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlor
Memories of someone he cares for

Drinking milk shakes cold and long
Enjoying life's simple pleasures

Smiling and waving and looking so fine
Picturing them happy and well

Don't think you knew you were in this song
Not aware they're being thought of

And it was cold and it rained, so I felt like an actor
Feeling like they're playing a part in life's chaos

And I thought of Ma and I wanted to get back there
Longing for the comfort of home

Your face, your race, the way that you talk
Describing the uniqueness of the person he's thinking of

I kiss you, you're beautiful, I want you to walk
Expressing his love and desire for them

We've got five years, stuck on my eyes
The limited time we have left is all he can see

Five years, what a surprise
The shock of how little time we have left

We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
The weight of this realization is heavy

Five years, that's all we've got
Time is running out

Five years
The constant reminder of our time limit