Five Years
Murder by Death Lyrics


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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

I heard telephones, opera house
Favourite melodies
I saw boys, toys
Electric irons and TVs

My brain hurt like a warehouse
It had no room to spare
I had to cram so many things
To store everything in there

And all the fat-skinny people
And all the tall-short people
And all the nobody people
And all the somebody people
I never thought I'd need so many people

A girl my age went off her head
Hit some tiny children
If the black hadn't a-pulled her off
I think she would have killed them

A soldier with a broken arm
Fixed his stare to the wheels of a Cadillac
A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest
And a queer threw up at the sight of that

I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour
Drinking milkshakes cold and long
Smiling and waving and looking so fine
Don't think you knew you were in this song

And it was cold and it rained
So I felt like an actor
And I thought of ma
And I wanted to get back there

Your face, your race
The way that you talk
I kiss you, you're beautiful
I want you to walk

We've got five years, stuck on my eyes
We've got five years, what a surprise




We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
We've got five years, that's all we've got

Overall Meaning

The song, "Five Years" by Murder by Death, talks about a world that is coming to an end. The opening lines talk about the feeling of despair and hopelessness that had engulfed the people of the world. The news has just come in that the earth was dying, and they had only five years left to live.


The lyrics describe a world that is numb and desensitized. People are going about their daily lives, even though they know the end is coming. The singer of the song describes the chaos and confusion that surrounds him. His mind is bursting with thoughts, and he is struggling to make sense of everything.


As the song progresses, the lyrics delve deeper into the emotions of the people in this doomed world. The singer witnesses a girl going mad, a soldier with a broken arm, and a cop kissing the feet of a priest. These are all symbolic of the desperation and madness that has engulfed the world.


The last verse describes a personal longing for human connection in the face of impending doom; the desire to be with loved ones and the desire for intimacy. The powerful line "We've got five years, that's all we've got" serves as a reminder that life is fleeting and that humanity should cherish every moment.


Line by Line Meaning

Pushing through the market square
Walking through a crowded town square


So many mothers sighing
Lots of women looking sad


News had just come over
Just received some new information


We had five years left to cry in
Only five years left before everyone will be sad


News guy wept and told us
The news reporter had tears in his eyes when he delivered the message


Earth was really dying
The planet was in severe danger of disappearing


Cried so much, his face was wet
The news reporter was so emotional that he had tears running down his face


Then I knew he was not lying
After seeing the reporter's emotional reaction, the listener knew that the report was true


I heard telephones, opera house
I heard different sounds: phones ringing and music from the opera


Favourite melodies
The listener's favorite songs


I saw boys, toys
The listener saw children playing with their toys


Electric irons and TVs
The listener saw electronic household appliances like irons and TVs


My brain hurt like a warehouse
The listener's head was overloaded with thoughts and ideas


It had no room to spare
The listener's brain was too full to think of anything else


I had to cram so many things
The listener had to forcefully try to remember many things


To store everything in there
To remember everything


And all the fat-skinny people
People of different sizes


And all the tall-short people
People of different heights


And all the nobody people
People who are overlooked and forgotten


And all the somebody people
People who are important and well-known


I never thought I'd need so many people
The listener never realized how many people are necessary for life to go on


A girl my age went off her head
A young woman went crazy


Hit some tiny children
She physically attacked some small kids


If the black hadn't a-pulled her off
If someone hadn't intervened


I think she would have killed them
The listener believes that the woman would have seriously harmed or killed the children


A soldier with a broken arm
A military member who had a damaged arm


Fixed his stare to the wheels of a Cadillac
Looked intently at the wheels of a fancy car


A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest
A law enforcement officer showed respect to a religious leader


And a queer threw up at the sight of that
And a person with a non-traditional sexual identity felt ill seeing the display of affection


I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour
The listener believes they saw someone they know in an ice cream shop


Drinking milkshakes cold and long
Enjoying sweet frozen drinks


Smiling and waving and looking so fine
Appearing happy and healthy


Don't think you knew you were in this song
The person being referred to didn't know they would be mentioned in this song


And it was cold and it rained
The weather was chilly and rainy


So I felt like an actor
The listener felt like they were in a movie


And I thought of ma
The listener thought of their mother


And I wanted to get back there
The listener wanted to return home


Your face, your race
Physical characteristics like skin color


The way that you talk
Distinct speaking style


I kiss you, you're beautiful
Affectionate comment directed to someone specific


I want you to walk
I want you to be present in my life


We've got five years, stuck on my eyes
Only five years left to live, and that thought is always in the listener's mind


We've got five years, what a surprise
The realization that there's only five years left is unexpected


We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Constantly thinking about the time left is causing mental strain


We've got five years, that's all we've got
There is no more time left beyond these five years




Contributed by Savannah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Bimey

Can't believe I never found this before. What a treat!

Noober

Best cover heard so far, keep it up!

Jorge Guerrero

Awesome. Gracias. 

Zichietto

Bravi! congratulations
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