Under Pressure
♔ QUEEN ♔ (Innuendo - Greatest Hits II 1991) Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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 ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure
The song Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie is a powerful commentary on the pressures of living in a society where poverty, inequality, and injustice abound. The opening lines set the tone of the song with the repetition of "um" and "ba" sounds and the line "pressure pushing down on me, pressing down on you no man ask for." These lines suggest the weight of societal expectations and forces beyond individual control that can make life difficult and stressful.
The song explores the divide and devastation that can be caused by societal pressures. The line "under pressure that brings a building down, splits a family in two, puts people on streets" is a poignant visualization of how society's pressures can create fractures and divisions in the fabric of families and communities. The chorus repeats the idea that the terror of knowing what the world is about and the pressure of surviving within it can drive people to insanity.
The song ultimately suggests that love and caring for others is the antidote to these societal pressures. The line "love dares you to change our way of caring about ourselves" suggests that love can be a positive force for change and social progress. Under Pressure is a powerful song that speaks to the human condition, offering insight and understanding on the complexities of navigating life in a society where inequality and injustice exist.
Line by Line Meaning
Mm ba ba de
Just a meaningless phrase
Um bum ba de
Just another meaningless phrase
Um bu bu bum da de
Yet another meaningless phrase
Pressure pushing down on me
The feeling of being weighed down by the demands of the world around us
Pressing down on you no man ask for
The same pressure being felt by everyone, even if they didn't necessarily ask for it
Under pressure that brings a building down
The literal and metaphorical weight of pressure, which can destroy structures both physical and emotional
Splits a family in two
The destructive power of stress, which can tear apart even the closest bonds between family members
Puts people on streets
The economic and social consequences of pressure and stress, which can leave people homeless and struggling to survive
Um ba ba be
Another meaningless phrase
Um ba ba be
Yet another meaningless phrase
De day da
Still another meaningless phrase
Ee day da that's okay
Accepting the meaningless nature of some of our thoughts and feelings
It's the terror of knowing
The fear that comes with being aware of the true nature of the world around us
What the world is about
Understanding the forces that shape our existence
Watching some good friends
Seeing the people we care about struggling with their own pressures and stresses
Screaming Let me out
The desperation that can come with feeling overwhelmed and trapped
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
The hope that things will somehow get better, even when things seem bleak
Pressure on people people on streets
The way that societal pressures and stresses impact everyone, no matter where they come from or what their situation is
Day day de mm hm
Still another meaningless phrase
Da da da ba ba
Yet another meaningless phrase
Okay
An affirmation that even though things are tough, we'll be okay
Chippin' around kick my brains around the floor
The frenzied feeling of trying to find a way out of a stressful situation
These are the days it never rains but it pours
The feeling of being constantly bombarded by one stressful event after another
Ee do ba be
Another meaningless phrase
Ee da ba ba ba
Yet another meaningless phrase
Um bo bo
Still another meaningless phrase
Be lap
Yet another meaningless phrase
People on streets ee da de da de
The way that pressure and stress impact everyone in society, even those who seem to be doing well on the surface
People on streets ee da de da de da de da
Reiterating the universality of stress and pressure
Turned away from it all like a blind man
The feeling of being disconnected from the world, even when we're surrounded by people and activity
Sat on a fence but it don't work
The sense of being caught between two opposing sides, but feeling like neither option really works
Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Trying to hold onto positive feelings in the face of overwhelming negativity, but feeling like those feelings are constantly being damaged and eroded
Why, why, why?
The frustrating search for meaning and purpose in the midst of chaos and stress
Love love love love love
The ultimate answer to the question of why we keep trying to find hope and hold onto positive feelings, even when everything seems to be falling apart
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
The way that stress and pressure can rob us of our sanity and make us feel like we're falling apart
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
The desperate plea to find a way out of a dark situation and find hope again
Why can't we give love that one more chance
The belief that love and compassion are the keys to overcoming stress and finding a way forward
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
Reiterating the power of love and the importance of holding onto it even in the midst of overwhelming stress and pressure
Give love give love give love give love give love
Reiterating the message of the previous line
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
Acknowledging that love is often seen as an outdated or simplistic concept
And love dares you to care for
Encouraging us to embrace the challenge of truly caring for others, even when it's difficult or painful
The people on the (people on streets) edge of the night
Referring to those who are most vulnerable and in need of our care and compassion
And loves (people on streets) dares you to change our way of
Encouraging us to break free from old patterns and ways of thinking that have led to stress and pain, and embrace a more compassionate way of being
Caring about ourselves
Reminding us that self-care is also an important part of the equation in overcoming stress and pressure
This is our last dance
Acknowledging that life is finite and that we need to make the most of the time we have
This is ourselves
An affirmation that we are who we are, flaws and all, and that we need to embrace ourselves fully
Under pressure
Reiterating the central theme of the song and the way that stress and pressure impact all aspects of our lives
Under pressure
Reiterating the central theme of the song and the way that stress and pressure impact all aspects of our lives
Pressure
A succinct way to encapsulate the message of the song and the destructive power of stress and pressure on our lives
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, TINTORETTO MUSIC
Written by: DAVID BOWIE, JOHN DEACON, BRIAN HAROLD MAY, FREDDIE MERCURY, ROGER TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FlyingPossum
Don't worry guys, countering the Legal Trap with my special move: Dumb Dinosaur
White plays Operation Bessarabia
Black plays Dumb Dinosaur: Dick Cheese Variant
White: Fuck you, :Bishop trap Queen:
Black plays Thot Slayer
White: WTF-
Gar
Instructions unclear accidentally sacrificed king
king slaughtered 😂😂
Crossroads Out
@Gian Buonviri mine too xdddddd
Crossroads Out
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Nehal Rashid
Damn 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Bunda
Impossible
valyirxz
Opponent plays different move
“Wait that wasn’t in the script”
AKMagic12
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Ben Nowicki
It wins a pawn...
Tinyducky911
Lol