Amerikkka
Pressure Lyrics

In these lyrics, Pressure, an Australian reggae artist, highlights the social and economic injustices suffered by black people and other minorities in America. He questions the very idea that America is the land of the free, pointing out that inequality and discrimination continue to plague society. The first line is a direct challenge to the American myth, highlighting the hypocrisy of claiming to be a free country while treating certain groups of people unfairly. The use of the word "minority" is significant because it highlights the idea that these groups are oppressed by the majority, and this oppression takes many forms.

The second line speaks to the physical violence that often accompanies poverty and marginalization. This violence can come in the form of police brutality or hate crimes, and it is often directed at people who are simply trying to survive. The third line is a powerful indictment of the system that allows this violence to occur, suggesting that there is a deliberate effort to keep certain groups of people down.

The fourth line recalls the basic human need for food and how people who are already struggling to make ends meet can be beaten down for trying to achieve something as basic as feeding themselves. The fifth and sixth lines provide context for the anger that Pressure and others feel, citing the long history of slavery and oppression that this violence is based on. The final line summarizes the argument of the song, that although America claims to be a land of freedom, many people are still not free due to poverty and oppression.