Mm ba ba de
Um bum ba de
Um bu bu bum da de
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure that brings a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
Um ba ba be
Um ba ba be
De day da
Ee day da - that's okay
It's the terror of knowing
What the world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people people on streets
Day day de mm hm
Da da da ba ba
Okay
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Ee do ba be
Ee da ba ba ba
Um bo bo
Be lap
People on streets - ee da de da de
People on streets - ee da de da de da de da
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher higher high
Pressure on people people on streets
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Why - why - why?
Love love love love love
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Why can't we give love that one more chance
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
Give love give love give love give love give love
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night
And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure



Lyrics submitted by LilBowieGirl

Track duration: 04:03

"Under Pressure" as written by Daniel Gonschorek, Harald Schubert, Toyin (trooper) Taylor, Eric Lamont Smith, Volker Lindner, Frank Moesner, Axel Gundlach, J. Supreme

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing, TINTORETTO MUSIC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Under Pressure song meanings
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48 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Under pressure. Such a simple song for such a deep concept...
    Flag ILUVUon May 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Aren't we all. Just love this song. You can feel the 'pressure' in the notes.
    Flag IllToast2Thaton May 19, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:Well, I think we've all done well to deduce that this song deals with living "Under Pressure." Simply -- and universally -- yes, it does. It can be a song for anyone who looks at the state of the world and wonders how it got so bad. Perfectly exemplified in Freddie's heart-wrenching "whhyy?" about 3/4 through. There is so much emotion and despair in that one questioning word it makes em tear up.

    Yet, I think we can also go to a deeper, more specific meaning in this song. I think there is a heavy nod to the troubles the LGBT community was facing at the time. I forget where, but i remember reading somewhere that the "watching some good friends scream 'let me out'" was in reference to friends who had killed themselves after facing homophobia and even being separated from their families ("Under pressure - that burns a building down, Splits a family in two, Puts people on streets") David and Freddie both were no strangers to the gay community being Bi and gay respectively.

    Of course, the song also seems to be talking about widespread violence, poverty and the AIDS epidemic that then was in full swing in media consciousness.

    So, discrimination, violence, poverty, disease. These two are only facing off against the four horsemen of their (our) time.

    "Under Pressure?" yeah, just a little.
    Flagged elduderenoon January 23, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:A song about the impossibility of life in the modern age of rampant christian and muslim fundamentaslism. It's not a matter of "whether" they will destroy our planet with nuclear war in the name of 2,000 year old superstitions... just "when" it will happen. Anybody who has children must now consider the probable possibility that their children will not live a full life because of these nutjob a-holes, like Pat Robertson or the authors of the Left Behind books. There WILL be nuclear war... not because it's prophecized (as these idiots would have you believe in their fear-mongering books) but because people believe these books and pastors and will think dropping bombs and torturing "heretics" is fulfilling the prophecy and serving their "god". It's truly tragic. Under Pressure is a song about the callous attitudes these "moralists" have towards those who have REAL problems, like AIDS victims or the homeless. These issues were hot topics in the 80s, when people were secular enough to care about reality. but after 9/11 and the Left Behind books and End Times theology, they're more comfy clinging to 2,000 year old illusions. As long as they kill abortion doctors and spit on "faggots" they're doing their lord's work, right?
    Flag TheThornBirdson June 15, 2009   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This song is about dealing with the harsh reality
    of all the pain in our lives, as well as those around us.
    It asks us to not become bitter at the world
    and to give love another chance!
    I heard "Ice Ice Baby" before this song and liked the music
    but when I heard the original, it was moving to the point of tears...
    "This is our last dance, This is ourselves...Under pressure."
    I felt like it was insulting for Vanilla Ice to take such an inspirational song
    and turn it into a personal anthem just to make some quick cash.
    It will never compare to the message of this timeless song.
    Flag Murudokeon April 25, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:When the song first came out, I'd heard it was about realizing & dealing with being gay. That still makes sense. You have two outspoken gays singing about it -mind you they didn't pair up for other songs - and in the 80's being gay was more of a stigma than it is these days. So watching your good friends scream 'let me out" (of the closet), splitting a family in two (if the family can't accept the orientation), and looking at "people on the streets" suggest that they look like everyone else, but are diffferent inside.... if you look at the lyrics and the tone of the song this way, it makes sense.

    But either way, a great song.
    Flag IDs_Egoon August 30, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think this song is about all the hate in the world, people splititng up and the people on the streets. its simply asking us to give love another chance and try and rid the hate in the world...care for 'the people on the edge of the night' - perhaps think about people u wouldnt usually give any thought to
    Flag TheGreatestTrickon July 11, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i thot that my chem and the used did a good job i kinda liked it.
    Flag RAPSUX!!on June 11, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I agree with paigepeach's interpretation and a few others. It's about modern life and the pressures of every day. "Let me out" could refer to the way people are always complaining "I can't stand this routine corporate lemming life", etc.

    the song really speaks to me.

    I reaaally love this part and I'm going through some stuff that relates to this:

    Cause love's such an old fashioned word
    And love dares you to care
    For the people on the edge of the night
    And love dares you to change our way of
    Caring about ourselves

    I think it means that when you love someone, you have to be there for them. Love dares you to be there for a person whose going insane, whose "on the edge of the night". A person who might need you. And the second part I think means that when you love someone and they love you, you have to care for yourself. You can't be selfish and for example want to kill yourself (cause you're under pressure or something) you have to live for that other person and by doing so you have to take care of yourself.

    Well that's my take on it. Beautiful song and so very deep.
    Flag xmoviemaniaxon December 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:AMAZING song,one of the best Especially: It's the terror of knowing
    What this world is about,
    Watching some good friends
    Screaming `Let me out'
    Very profound along with
    "Cause love's such an old fashioned word
    And love dares you to care
    For the people on the edge of the night
    And love dares you to change our way of
    Caring about ourselves"
    Flag roisu18on September 06, 2007   Link

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