"Five Years" is a song written by English musician David Bowie, released on his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it was recorded in November 1971 at Trident Studios in London with his backing band the Spiders from Mars, comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey.
As the opening track on the album, the song introduces the overarching theme of the album: an impending apocalyptic disaster will destroy Earth in five years and the being who will save it is a bisexual alien rock star named Ziggy Stardust.
While the first two verses are told from a child narrator, the third is from Bowie, who addresses the listener directly. As the track progresses, it builds intensity, before climaxing with strings and Bowie screaming the title.
Since release, "Five Years" has received critical acclaim from music critics, with the majority complimenting Bowie's songwriting and Woodmansey's drum track.
It has since been regarded as one of Bowie's greatest songs and by some as one of the greatest opening tracks of all time.
Bowie performed the song frequently throughout the Ziggy Stardust, 1976 Isolar, 1978 Stage and 2003 Reality tours.
It has been remastered multiple times, including in 2012 for its 40th anniversary; this remaster was later included on the box set Five Years (1969–1973) in 2015, which took its title from this song.