Bowie developed an interest in music from an early age. He studied art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. "Space Oddity", released in 1969, was his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart. After a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of Bowie's single "Starman" and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which won him widespread popularity. In 1975, Bowie's style shifted towards a sound he characterised as "plastic soul", initially alienating many of his UK fans but garnering him his first major US crossover success with the number-one single "Fame" and the album Young Americans. In 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. In 1977, he again changed direction with the electronic-inflected album Low, the first of three collaborations with Brian Eno that came to be known as the "Berlin Trilogy". "Heroes" (1977) and Lodger (1979) followed; each album reached the UK top five and received lasting critical praise.
After uneven commercial success in the late 1970s, Bowie had three number-one hits: the 1980 single "Ashes to Ashes", its album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and "Under Pressure" (a 1981 collaboration with Queen). He achieved massive commercial success in the 1980s starting with Let's Dance (1983). Between 1988 and 1992, he fronted the hard rock band Tin Machine before resuming his solo career in 1993. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with musical styles, including industrial and jungle. He also continued acting; his roles included Major Jack Celliers in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth (1986), Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), and Nikola Tesla in The Prestige (2006), among other film and television appearances and cameos. He stopped touring after 2004 and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006. In 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with The Next Day. He remained musically active until his death from liver cancer at his home in New York City. He died two days after both his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar (2016).
During his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at over 100 million records worldwide, made him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In the UK, he was awarded ten platinum, eleven gold and eight silver album certifications, and released 11 number-one albums. In the US, he received five platinum and nine gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Rolling Stone ranked him among the greatest artists in history. As of 2022, Bowie was the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie
Studio albums
David Bowie (1967)
David Bowie/Space Oddity (1969)
The Man Who Sold the World (1970)
Hunky Dory (1971)
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Aladdin Sane (1973)
Pin Ups (1973)
Diamond Dogs (1974)
Young Americans (1975)
Station to Station (1976)
Low (1977)
"Heroes" (1977)
Lodger (1979)
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (1980)
Let's Dance (1983)
Tonight (1984)
Never Let Me Down (1987)
Black Tie White Noise (1993)
The Buddha of Suburbia (1993)
Outside (1995)
Earthling (1997)
Hours (1999)
Heathen (2002)
Reality (2003)
The Next Day (2013)
Blackstar (2016)
Under Pressure
David Bowie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doom-boom-ba-beh
Doo-boo-boom-ba-beh-beh
Pressure pushin' down on me
Pressin' down on you, no man ask for
Under pressure that brings a building down
Splits a family in two, puts people on streets
Dee-day-da, ee-day-da
That's okay
That's the terror of knowing what this world is about
Watchin' some good friends screamin', "Let me out"
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people, people on streets
Da-da-da, mm-mm
Da-da-da-ba-bum
Okay
Chippin' around, kick my brains 'round the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Ee-doh-ba-buh, ee-da-ba-ba-bop
Mm-bo-bop, beh-lup
People on streets, ee-da-dee-da-day
People on streets, ee-da-dee-da-dee-da-dee-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 the fence but it don't work
Keep comin' up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Why, why, why?
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?
'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
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure
David Bowie's song "Under Pressure" is a powerful commentary on the pressures of life that can cause tension and break apart relationships. The lyrics begin with a repetition of nonsensical words, which emphasizes the sense of confusion and disorientation that can arise from the pressure of the outside world. The next few lines describe the way that pressure affects individuals and society at large, referencing families breaking apart and people ending up on the streets. The bridge of the song shifts into a more introspective tone as Bowie sings about the terror of knowing the reality of the world and watching friends struggle to cope with it. The chorus repeats the main theme of the song, with increasing urgency and intensity, as Bowie reflects on the devastating impact of pressure on both individuals and society.
The song's verses jump between disjointed images of confusion, frustration, and despair to create a chilling portrait of the impact of external pressures on people's lives. Bowie's lyrics delve deeply into the psychological impact of social forces, showcasing the way these pressures can cause people to turn away from life or reject its values altogether. Meanwhile, the chorus repeats a refrain about the power of love and its ability to change our ways of caring for ourselves and others. The instrumental break adds an extra layer of emotional depth to the song, with wailing saxophones and a pounding drum beat that intensify the feeling of being under pressure.
Line by Line Meaning
Mm ba ba de
Opening sound without any specific meaning
Um bum ba de
Another sound without any specific meaning
Um bu bu bum da de
Yet another sound without any specific meaning
Pressure pushing down on me
Feeling the burden and stress of life's daily troubles and hardships
Pressing down on you no man ask for
The same burdens and stress are affecting others, whether they asked for it or not
Under pressure that brings a building down
When stress, whether it be financial or emotional, becomes too much to bear it can cause someone to crumble like a building
Splits a family in two
The stress of life can cause families to become divided, leading to broken homes
Puts people on streets
Financial pressure can lead to people losing their homes and being forced to live on the streets
Um ba ba be
Repeating the sounds from earlier in the song, without any specific meaning
De day da
Yet another nonsensical phrase in the song
Ee day da, that's okay
Continuing the previous phrase, in which the meaning is ambiguous and unclear
It's the terror of knowing
The song shifts to a focus on the anxiety and fear that comes with feeling the pressure and stress of everyday life
What the world is about
The realization that the world can be harsh and unfair
Watching some good friends
Observing the struggles that close friends may be facing
Screaming 'Let me out'
Expressing the overwhelming desperation to escape the pressure and difficulties of life
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Hoping that things will get better in the future and that tomorrow will bring relief from the present pressure and stress
Pressure on people people on streets
Reiterating the idea that stress affects everyone, including those who might be struggling financially and end up living on the streets
Day day de mm hm
Another meaningless phrase that adds rhythm to the song
Da da da ba ba
Continuing to add non-lexical words to the song
Okay
A one-word interjection without much meaning
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
Feeling scatterbrained and overwhelmed, as if one's thoughts and emotions are being jumbled around and scattered across the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Expressing the idea that sometimes all of life's struggles come at once, one after another, without any reprieve
Ee do ba be
Another ambiguous phrase with no clear meaning
Um bo bo
More nonsense syllables that provide rhythm to the song
Be lap
An interjection with no clear meaning
People on streets - ee da de da de
Emphasizing again how difficult life can be for people who might end up living on the streets
People on streets - ee da de da de da de da
A repetition of the above line for added emphasis
It's the terror of knowing
Returning to the theme of anxiety and fear in the face of life's struggles
What this world is about
The realization that life can be difficult and unpredictable
Watching some good friends
Seeing people close to oneself struggling with life's difficulties
Screaming 'Let me out'
Expressing the desperation to escape the overwhelming stress and pressure of daily life
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher higher high
A continued hope for tomorrow to be better, praying that things will improve significantly
Pressure on people people on streets
The repetition of this line again emphasizes how widespread and universal the experience of pressure and stress can be
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Closing the eyes to ignore and avoid the stress and problems of life, even though it might only make things worse
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Trying to avoid making decisions or taking action to improve one's situation, but not finding that strategy to be effective
Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Hoping that love could be the solution, but finding it is not enough to solve all of life's problems
Why why why?
Questioning why life has to be so hard and difficult
Love love love love love
Emphasizing the idea that love is necessary and crucial, even if it cannot solve everything
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
The extreme pressure and stress of life can lead to a sense of insanity or loss of control, as if everything is falling apart
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Pleading for another opportunity or chance to make things right and improve one's situation
Why can't we give love that one more chance
Suggesting that love is the key and that it deserves another chance to be the solution to life's problems
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
Repeating the importance of love, and insisting that it is the key to overcoming life's difficulties
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
Admitting that the idea of love might be seen as outdated or out of touch with modern life
And love dares you to care for
Arguing that love is actually daring and bold, pushing people to care for others and look out for their well-being
The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night
Specifically calling attention to those who are living on the streets and who are especially vulnerable and in need of care
And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of
Positing that love challenges individuals to take action, to work to change the system or the way things are currently done, especially in regard to helping those who are vulnerable and at risk
Caring about ourselves
Encouraging a shift in focus from simply taking care of oneself, to also taking care of others who might be in need
This is our last dance
Closing the song in a defiant, powerful way, insisting that this is the last chance to make a difference and to fight for a better world
This is ourselves
Asserting that everyone has a role to play and a responsibility to work towards change and improvement in the world
Under pressure
Reiterating the central theme of the song, that pressure and stress are a universal experience and challenge
Under pressure
Closing the song with one final repetition of the song's title and central theme
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie, John Richard Deacon, Brian Harold May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Meddows Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DrJKintobor
on I Can't Give Everything Away
I can totally imagine this being the end theme of Sabrina Online, when Sabrina marries Richard and they drive off into the sunset...
Peter Bonney
on Diamond Dogs
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