You have to learn to pace yourself
Pressure
You're just like everybody else
Pressure
You've only had to run so far
So good
But you will come to a place
Where the only thing you feel
Are loaded guns in your face
And you'll have to deal with
Pressure

You used to call me paranoid
Pressure
But even you can not avoid
Pressure
You turned the tap dance into your crusade
Now here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure

All grown up and no place to go
Psych 1, Psych 2
What do you know?
All your life is Channel 13
Sesame Street
What does it mean?

I'll tell you what it means
Pressure
Pressure

Don't ask for help
You're all alone
Pressure
You'll have to answer
To your own
Pressure
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale
But here you are in the ninth
Two men out and three men on
Nowhere to look but inside
Where we all respond to
Pressure
Pressure

All your life is Time magazine
I read it too
What does it mean?
Pressure
I'm sure you'll have some cosmic rationale
But here you are with your faith
And your Peter Pan advice
You have no scars on your face
And you cannot handle pressure

Pressure, pressure
One, two, three, four
Pressure


Lyrics submitted by kevin

Pressure Lyrics as written by Billy Joel

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Pressure song meanings
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25 Comments

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  • +5
    General Comment

    This song has meaning, a really deep meaning to that. Somebody's in a really bad situation, and people who have never had any troubles in their lives are telling him what to do. He's saying the person shouldn't be giving him advice because they "have no scars on their face" and their Sesame Street or channel 13 (probably just meant as television in general) won't give them any real direction in life. And Billy Joel says you can't give advice if you haven't gone through anything

    vandyne11on November 16, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Pressure is about growing up. It's about being sheltered and then finally having to face the "real world." It's about being naive and seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, but suddenly having to deal with life head-on. "Even you cannot avoid pressure."

    It is very 1982 with the synthesizer, but that adds to the song!

    And weezerific, Sesame Street is a children's TV show (I feel old!). It is on PBS stations, which in New York is channel 13.

    krisstieon June 27, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    omg come on this song definitely has a meaning. i agree with Krisstie- he's talking about growing up and being sheltered. "all your life is channel 13, sesame street" it's saying life isn't all perfect like sesame street, you have to deal with pressure. you can't avoid it. i love this song!

    lyss222on July 13, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Many of the songs on "The Nylon Curtain" are social comments. I think this song is about Joel's contempt for psychologists and therapy. Demand for these, I'm guessing, were probably rising through the late-70s and early-80s. Therapists are not immune from personal problems, and yet people seek them out as if they are all-knowing. But what do therapists really know? All they offer is a "cosmic rationale". Better to look for your own answers. I think the Sesame Street line is a reference to how, according to therapists, any problem we have in adulthood can be traced back to childhood.

    matthew_gentlyon April 10, 2006   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    i seriously think this song is about heck."All your life is channel 13, sesame street" Means that the person is all happy and has no cares. "You have no scars on your face" means that he hasn't gone through any thing. And "But you will come to a place where the only thing you feel are loaded guns in your face" means that soon you will come to a place with worries and you will have to deal with all this pressure, or you will come to heck.

    hatandboots10on July 08, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    In the part that said "But here you are, with your faith, and your Peter Pan advice." means that whomever he is talking about reached the real world under the impression that everything is great and nothing will go wrong(AKA Peter Pan advice).

    GrayTiamaton April 07, 2014   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    F** comment wasn't complete and I press the button while I wanted to correct something..

    Sorry for the west of time just check the other comment it is full I took my time not to press the f** button enjoy !

    [Edit: I pressed the button by mistake]
    Romain333on July 22, 2023   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Yeah, yoru probly righ, but whenever I hear this song I always freak out, I love it, one of my favorites, I love the sinthesizer in there well I just needed to say somthing I LOVE THIS SONG!! Billy Joel is so awesome, i love his music

                                                        -Forrest-
    Olexon September 30, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    A song like this is probably directed as a specific person though. I'd like to know why he wrote this song or whom it's about.

    stoolhardyon July 22, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    did u really ask what sesame street was?

    (weezerific)

    joelhendrixLOVEon September 20, 2006   Link

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