He was born in Fyzabad, Trinidad and Tobago to Grenadian parents, and moved to England with his family at the age of eight. Oceans' musical influence came at an early age of his life, as his father was a musician, and realised he was inline to follow those ambitions as he was growing up. During his teenage years, he sang regularly in London clubs while also working as a tailor in London's Savile Row. He released his first single in 1972 on Spark Records as Les Charles.
When in Trinidad as a boy he adopted the name Billy Ocean, taking the surname from the local football team 'Ocean's Eleven', who had gotten the name from the famous film of the same name. The next year, 1976, was when he recorded his first album, Billy Ocean, with its first single release, "Love Really Hurts Without You," charting at number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and number 22 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. More successes ensued, including "L.O.D. (Love On Delivery)". He also wrote songs for other artists, such as La Toya Jackson. In 1981, he scored the U.S. R&B chart with "Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)".
Ocean's period of greatest success began with Suddenly during 1984, and its main single, "Caribbean Queen". The song's title and lyrics were changed for different regions, such that the song is also known as "African Queen" or "European Queen". The song won Ocean the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 1985 Grammy Awards. The album's title track also became a success, its score maximizing at #4 in both the US and the UK; and the song "Loverboy", while also being a #2 US success during 1985, from the album, was also the background music for the first scene of the popular UK BBC One TV series, Casualty, during 1986.
Ocean appeared at Live Aid in 1985, singing "Caribbean Queen" and "Loverboy", from the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His 1986 album Love Zone also sold well. It included the successful singles "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" (the theme from the film The Jewel of the Nile); this was a number one success in the UK and a number two in the U.S.; and "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" (a U.S. number one, and also a major UK success). Also included were the title track and "Love Is Forever", which were #10 and #16 U.S. successes for Ocean, respectively.
In February 1986, Ocean's video of "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going" was banned by the BBC, owing to non-union members (including Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito) miming to backing vocals.
Ocean's next album, Tear Down These Walls (1988) featured another number one single, "Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car", while the album was certified platinum.
His 1993 album Time to Move On failed to produce any major successes, but his 1989 Greatest Hits collection has been a steady seller over the years, and his 1997 compilation Love Is For Ever made #7 on the UK album chart. Ocean's last studio album for Jive Records was Time to Move On, which he recorded in Chicago with R&B star R. Kelly. It turned out that R. Kelly had been a long-time admirer of the way Ocean was able to mix the more emotive soul style with a crossover popular style.
In 2002, the University of Westminster awarded Ocean an honorary doctorate of music. The awards ceremony took place in the Barbican Centre, in London. He continues to tour and record in Europe. He lives in Sunningdale, Berkshire with his wife of 27 years, Judy; and their three children Cherie, Antony and Rachel. Ocean is now a patron for Tech Music Schools in London, made up of Drumtech, Vocaltech, Guitar-X and Keyboardtech. He regularly visits to hold clinics and seminars for the students.
In October 2007, Ocean commenced his first British tour in over 15 years. In February and March 2008 he toured Australia and the Far East. His new album, Because I Love You was released on 2 February 2009. To coincide with this new tour and album launch, Ocean has been working with Adoseof Design on a website revision which is due March 2009.
For more information got to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Ocean
Pressure
Billy Ocean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pressure
You're just like everybody else
Pressure
You've only had to run so far
So good
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?
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
The song "Pressure" by Billy Ocean talks about the inevitability of pressure in life and how we all have to learn to deal with it. The lyrics convey a sense of warning to the listener, reminding them that they will eventually reach a point where the only thing they feel is intense pressure. The lines "You have to learn to pace yourself" and "You're just like everybody else" indicate that everyone faces pressure at some point in their lives, and it's crucial to learn how to handle it.
The lyrics also address the common defense mechanisms people use to avoid dealing with pressure. The lines "You used to call me paranoid, but even you can not avoid pressure," suggest that even those who are in denial about pressure can't escape it. The lines "All grown up and no place to go, Psych 1, Psych 2, what do you know?" indicate that some people turn to therapy or other forms of self-help to cope with pressure but ultimately find themselves without a solution.
The singer also points out how culture and media contribute to our understanding of pressure with the lines "All your life is Channel 13, Sesame Street, what does it mean?" and "All your life is Time Magazine, I read it too, what does it mean?" These lines suggest that our exposure to the media and popular culture shapes our perceptions of what it means to be under pressure.
Overall, the song "Pressure" by Billy Ocean serves as a reminder that pressure is an inevitable part of life, and we all have to learn to handle it in our ways.
Line by Line Meaning
You have to learn to pace yourself
You need to balance yourself and not rush things.
You're just like everybody else
You're not unique and encounter everyday problems.
You've only had to run so far, So good
You've gone through challenges but they were manageable.
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
One day, you'll face confrontation and fear, and you'll need to overcome it.
You used to call me paranoid
You once thought I was overthinking.
But even you can not avoid Pressure
But you, too, will experience anxiety and tension.
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
You've made a trivial issue your mission, but your naivete left you vulnerable to stress.
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? Pressure
You're an adult with no direction or purpose, and your only education comes from TV. You're uncertain of yourself and unsure of what's expected of you.
Don't ask for help You're all alone Pressure
You refuse or can only rely on yourself in times of distress.
You'll have to answer To your own Pressure
You'll face challenges and responsibility alone.
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
You may have a bigger philosophy, but when facing a crucial moment in life, you can only rely on yourself and your own decision-making.
All your life is Time Magazine I read it too What does it mean? Pressure
You only know what you've read in magazines, and your uncertainty is rising.
You'll have to answer To your own Pressure
You have to face the consequences and outcomes of your life decisions and act accordingly.
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
You may have a bigger philosophy but when faced with difficulties, you cannot handle it since you haven't faced enough adversity and lack experience.
One, two, three, four Pressure
This is a final warning about what the future may hold and the difficulties that come with it.
Contributed by Juliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-dg1hu8uu1o
Billy Ocean always had a good fashion sense of style.
@user-dg1hu8uu1o
I have this album from 93. There are good songs on this album.
@nicksonenzoya6871
I can't get enough of listening to this song also in 2023 February month of my birthday
@user-dg1hu8uu1o
Just one of so many awesome under rated gems, by Billy Ocean. 😡🤬
@rusticization
One of the most underrated songs by Billy Ocean.
@daniellevicampscampins8334
My therapist is in this video I just can find him
@duncan3998
Hidden 1993 gem
@judithatuhaire4953
Hi dear
@user-dg1hu8uu1o
I agree 💯👍
@travelnexplore638
Truly a classic......we lost authenticity and good taste in music after the 80's and 90's. I would have loved to have lived in that period.