5 Years Time

Last updated

"5 Years Time"
Noah-whale-five-years-time-1-.jpg
Single by Noah and the Whale
from the album Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
Released
  • 22 October 2007
  • 4 August 2008 (re-release)
Genre
Length4:02 (video edit)
Label Mercury
Songwriter(s) Charlie Fink
Producer(s)
Noah and the Whale singles chronology
"5 Years Time"
(2007)
"2 Bodies 1 Heart"
(2008)

"Shape of My Heart"
(2008)

"5 Years Time"
(2008)

"Shape of My Heart"
(2008)

"5 Years Time", also known as "5 Years Time (Sun Sun Sun)", is the debut single by English folk rock band Noah and the Whale. Originally released on 22 October 2007, its re-release on 4 August 2008 made it the band's first top-ten hit.

Contents

Chart performance

"5 Years Time" did not chart upon its first release in 2007. After poor initial sales, the group chose to re-release the single, and the record made it onto the charts in a number of countries. In the UK, it debuted at number 24, and went on to become Noah and the Whale's first top-ten single, peaking at number 7. In Ireland, "5 Years Time" debuted at number 47 and peaked at number 10.

Music video

The music video was directed by James Copeman. It features the band performing in a pub and dancing/playing in the park. During the video, Laura Marling, who provides backing vocals for the group, is seen playing a tin whistle and also giving the camera the two-fingers. The style of the video resembles a Wes Anderson film, using the same font the director uses in his films/music videos. Noah and the Whale are known to be fans of Anderson's work, and they named their band after the film The Squid and the Whale (2005), on which Anderson was a producer, as well as its director Noah Baumbach, a long term collaborator of Anderson's. [1]

The music video was uploaded to YouTube on 13 June 2008, and as of July 2025 it has been viewed over 13 million times. [2]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2008)Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [3] 59
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [4] 72
Ireland (IRMA) [5] 10
Scotland (OCC) [6] 3
UK Singles (OCC) [7] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (2008)Position
UK Singles (OCC) [8] 78

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [9] Platinum600,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

The song was used in a 2008 SunChips commercial, [10] in a 2008 Saturn commercial and also featured in a Volkswagen Golf commercial in 2015. It was featured in an episode of the BBC One school drama series Waterloo Road in 2009, as well as an episode in series 3 of that same broadcaster's popular show Gavin & Stacey . [11]

"5 Years Time" is featured in the 2025 DC Universe film Superman ; it is played during an action sequence in which Mister Terrific (portrayed by Edi Gathegi) battles Lex Luthor's mercenaries while infiltrating their base to rescue Superman. The song's streaming numbers saw a 1,000% increase following its inclusion in the film, going from 7,300 streams to 85,400 streams by July 12, the day after Superman released. [12]

References

  1. Nicholls, Owen (16 February 2010). "10 Bands You May Not Have Known Were Named After Movies". NME. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  2. "Noah and the Whale - 5 Years Time - Official". 13 June 2008. Archived from the original on 11 August 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2011 via YouTube.
  3. "Noah and the Whale – 5 Years Time" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  4. "Noah and the Whale – 5 Years Time" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  5. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Noah and the Whale". Irish Singles Chart.
  6. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  8. "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2008". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  9. "British single certifications – Noah & the Whale – 5 Years Time". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  10. "New SunChips Ad". 21 July 2008. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2011 via YouTube.
  11. "5 Years Time by Noah and the Whale | Tunefind". www.tunefind.com.
  12. Abramovitch, Seth (15 July 2025). "Iggy Pop on Closing Out 'Superman' Soundtrack: Hero is "the Best Friend You Could Have"". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 16 July 2025.