Five Years - David Bowie (RIP)

Song History:

"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 (condenado a) destruction in five years and the aftermath (resultado/consecuencia) of this knowledge. Bowie is rumored to have chosen the length of time, five years, as a result of a dream in which his deceased (difunto/fallecido)  father told him he must never fly again and would die in five years.
This song has been described  as "easily one of the greatest album-opening songs ever".
^{(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Years)}

 Language Study:

Warehouse = almacén   "Wares" (pronounced the same as "where") is an old word for "products".   You probably already know software (programas informáticos)  and hardware (soporte físico de ordenador/herramientas/cosas de metal).    So (así que) "warehouse" is literally " casa de productos"   This might help you remember the word since (como) many students find it difficult to remember. 

Spare = de repuesto/extra This word is most commonly used in expressions such as (como por ejemplo) " a spare tire" (la rueda de repuesto) and "spare time" (tiempo libre) and as a verb in "Hey buddy, can you spare a dime"  (Oye amigo ¿Tienes 10 céntimos que no necesitas?)


To cram = embutir/apiñar Generally this word is used as a verb to mean putting a lot of things into a small space.  However (sin embargo), the word is also commonly used for  intensive studying (empollar)  when the student is trying to cram a lot of information into their head before a test.  

Went off her head = volverse loco This is a colloquial way of saying "to go crazy".   It´s not very common and I don´t recommend that you use it.

Fat-skinny people/tall-short people Here Bowie is being creative.   He could be saying fat people, skinny  (flaco) people, tall people and short people but the way that he says it in the song it seems (parece) that he is talking about contradictory features (caracteristicas) in people.    You have to interpret the meaning for yourself (por ti mismo). 

Fixed his stare = fijó su mirada Here is another expression that isn´t very common and that I don´t recommend that you use.   "To stare" (mirar fijamente/quedarse mirando), however, is used a lot, as in, "The child stared at the man with one leg."  

If a black hadn´t a pulled her off = si un hombre negro no la hubiera detenido Bowie refers to several minority groups in this song.    He was always the "freak hero" and seems to have identified with people who were not "normal".   In the US, black or African American are both commonly used.   "Negro" is considered offensive.  "Nigger" is so offensive that many people call it "the N word" and  I recommend that you never use it. 

queer = raro/travesti/homosexual/lesbiana/bisexual   This word means "strange" but most people don´t use it that way (de esta manera)  because of its common colloquial meaning.   It was originally used as an insult but some homosexuals/lesbians/bisexuals have started using the word themselves.    Here again Bowie is referring to people that, especially in the 1970s´,   were considered freaks.      BTW (By the way/por cierto) n the US the most common way to say "raro" is "weird" as in, "It´s weird that John didn´t come to the party."


Stuck on my eyes = pegado a mis ojos, my brain hurts a lot = mi cerebro me duele mucho  These are  NOT common expressions.   It is just Bowie being imaginative.

We´ve got  = tenemos In American English we sometimes say "I have got" (Yo tengo) but it is more common in British English.   Americans usually say "I have" (Yo tengo)    This can be a little confusing for English students, especially the negative forms: "I haven´t got any idea." (US/UK), "I don´t have any idea."(US), and "I haven´t any idea."(UK)  all mean the same thing, "No tengo ni idea."   



"Five Years" by David Bowie R.I.P. (rest in peace)

Pushing through the market square

Empujándose en la plaza del mercado,
so many mothers sighing  
tantas madres sollozando. 

News had just come over,
Las noticias había acabado de llegar

we had five years left to cry in  
nos quedan cinco años para llorar.

News guy wept and told us

El presentador de las noticias lloró y nos dijo

the earth was really dying
que la tierra realmente estaba muriendo,

Cried so much his face was wet
lloró a mares, su cara húmeda,

then I knew he was not lying  
entonces supe que no era mentira. 

 
I heard telephones, opera house, favourite melodies
Escuché teléfonos, operas, melodías favoritas; 

I saw boys, toys electric irons and T.V.'s
vi muchachos, juguetes, planchas eléctricas y televisores.

My brain hurt like a warehouse
Mi cerebro dolía como un almacén, 

it had no room to spare
no había espacio de sobra 

I had to cram so many things 

tuve que amontonar tantas cosas
to store everything in there

para guardarlo todo allí, 

And all the fat-skinny people, and all the tall-short people
toda la gente gorda y flaca, y toda la gente alta y pequeña, 

And all the nobody people, and all the somebody people
y toda la gente nadie, y toda la gente que es alguien. 

I never thought I'd need so many people  
Nunca pensé que necesitaría tanta gente.
 

A girl my age went off her head
Una chica de mi edad se volvió loca, 

hit some tiny children
golpeó a un niño pequeño; 

If a black hadn't a-pulled her off,

si un hombre negro no la hubiera detenido 

I think she would have killed them  
creo que lo hubiese matado.
 

A soldier with a broken arm, 

Un soldado con un brazo roto 

fixed his stare to the wheels of a Cadillac
miraba fijamente las ruedas de un Cadillac.

A cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest
Un policía se arrodilló y besó los pies de un sacerdote,

and the queer threw up at the sight of that
y  el travesti vomitó a la vista de tal escena. 

I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour

Me pareció verte en una tienda de helados,

drinking milk shakes cold and long
bebiendo largas y frías malteadas,

Smiling and waving and looking so fine
sonreías y agitabas tus manos, te veías tan bien, 

don't think you knew you were in this song  
No creo que supieras que estabas en esta canción.

And it was cold and it rained so I felt like an actor
Hacía frío y llovía, me sentí como un actor,

And I thought of Ma and I wanted to get back there
y pensé en mamá y quise volver allá,

Your face, your race, the way that you talk
Tu rostro, tu raza, la forma en que hablas

I kiss you, you're beautiful, I want you to walk
te beso, eres tan bella, quiero que camines
 

We've got five years, stuck on my eyes
Tenemos cinco años, pegados en mis ojos. 

We've got five years, what a surprise
Tenemos cinco años. Cinco años, que sorpresa. 

We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Tenemos cinco años, mi cerebro duele tanto. 

We've got five years, that's all we've got 

Cinco años, es todo lo que nos queda.

We've got five years, what a surprise
Tenemos cinco años. Cinco años, que sorpresa.  

We've got five years, stuck on my eyes
Tenemos cinco años, pegados en mis ojos. 

We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot
Tenemos cinco años, mi cerebro duele tanto. 

We've got five years, that's all we've got 

Cinco años, es todo lo que nos queda.

Repeat and fade (repite y desvanecerse)