| "5 Years Time" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byNoah and the Whale | ||||
| from the albumPeaceful, the World Lays Me Down | ||||
| Released |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:02 (video edit) | |||
| Label | Mercury | |||
| Songwriter | Charlie Fink | |||
| Producers |
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| Noah and the Whale singles chronology | ||||
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"5 Years Time", also known as "5 Years Time (Sun Sun Sun)", is the debut single by Englishfolk rock bandNoah and the Whale. Originally released on 22 October 2007 as the lead single from their debut albumPeaceful, the World Lays Me Down, it became the band's first top 40 hit upon re-release on 4 August 2008.
"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. It is the band's highest-charting song in both countries.
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 atin whistle and also giving the camera thetwo-fingers. The style of the video resembles aWes 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 filmThe Squid and the Whale (2005), on which Anderson was a producer, as well as its directorNoah Baumbach, a long term collaborator of Anderson's.[1]
The music video was uploaded toYouTube on 13 June 2008, and as of July 2025[update] it has been viewed over 13 million times.[2]
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] | 59 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[4] | 72 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[5] | 10 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[6] | 3 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[7] | 7 |
| Chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[8] | 78 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[9] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
The song was used in a 2008SunChips commercial,[10] in a 2008 Saturn commercial and also featured in aVolkswagen Golf commercial in 2015. It was featured in an episode of theBBC One school drama seriesWaterloo Road in 2009, as well as an episode in series 3 of that same broadcaster's popular showGavin & Stacey.[11]
"5 Years Time" is featured in the 2025DC Universe filmSuperman; it is played during an action sequence in whichMister Terrific (portrayed byEdi Gathegi) battlesLex Luthor's mercenaries while infiltrating their base to rescueSuperman. 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 afterSuperman released.[12]
