Bowie had originally come to the studios in order to sing backing vocals on another Queen song, "Cool Cat". For whatever reason, Bowie was not satisfied with his contribution, and his vocals were removed from the track.
Queen had been working on an earlier version of the song under the title "Feel Like" but were not yet satisfied with the result. The final version that became "Under Pressure" evolved from a jam session the band had with Bowie at his studio in Montreux, Switzerland, therefore it was credited as co-written by the five musicians. According to Queen bassist John Deacon (as quoted in a French magazine in 1984), however, the song's primary musical songwriter was Freddie Mercury — though all contributed to the arrangement. The earlier, embryonic version of the song without Bowie , "Feel Like" , is widely available in bootleg form.
There has been some confusion about who created the song's famous bass line. John Deacon said (in Japanese magazine Musiclife in 1982, and in the previously mentioned French magazine) that David Bowie had created it. In more recent interviews, Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor have credited the bass riff to Deacon; Bowie also said on his website that the bass line was already written before he became involved. The September 2005 edition of online music magazine Stylus singled out the bass line as the best in popular music history.
Roger Taylor was frequently rumored to be the song's chief writer. However, it appears that he served more as an intermediary for Mercury and Bowie (two of rock music's biggest stars at the time), being friends with both men. Taylor was involved in the production of the track and did some preliminary mixes with Bowie in New York, but Bowie was dissatisfied with these results and wanted to re-record everything (as claimed by May on a November 1982 interview for IM&RW magazine). In the end, the final mix was done with the involvement of Mercury and recording engineer Mack, "under pressure" from Bowie and Taylor (according to Brian May in the same 1982 interview).
Although very much a joint project, only Queen incorporated the song into their live shows at the time. Bowie chose not to perform the song before an audience until the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, when he and Annie Lennox sang it as a duet (backed by the surviving Queen members). However, since Mercury's death and the Outside tour in 1995, Bowie has performed the song at virtually every one of his live shows, with bassist Gail Ann Dorsey taking Mercury's vocal part.
The song also appeared in setlists from A Reality Tour mounted by Bowie in 2004, when he frequently would dedicate it to Freddie Mercury. Queen + Paul Rodgers have recently performed the song as well. While Bowie was never present for a live performance of the song with Mercury, Roger Taylor instead filled for back-up vocals usually in unison with Mercury as Mercury would take over most of Bowie's parts.
Pressure
Queen & 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
The song "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie touches on the theme of societal pressure that weighs heavily on individuals and families alike. The song opens with a series of repetitive, rhythmic syllables before launching into the lyrics that describe the oppressive nature of pressure that can bring down a building and split families apart. The chorus touches on the terror of knowing and watching people suffer from this pressure. The second verse is more introspective and describes the singer's struggles with personal pressure and keeping love alive even in difficult circumstances. The song then ends with a repetition of the theme in the chorus "under pressure."
Line by Line Meaning
Mm-noom-ba-deh
Instrumental Intro
Doom-boom-ba-beh
Instrumental Intro
Doo-boo-boom-ba-beh-beh
Instrumental Intro
Pressure pushin' down on me
The weight of expectations and workload is becoming too much for me to handle
Pressin' down on you, no man ask for
The same pressure is being imposed on others who never asked for it
Under pressure that brings a building down
The stress can cause a complete collapse of a person or organization
Splits a family in two, puts people on streets
The pressure can lead to the division of families or homelessness
Mm-ba-ba-beh, mm-ba-ba-beh
Instrumental
Dee-day-da, ee-day-da
Instrumental
That's okay
Accepting the inevitability of the situation, despite the pressure
That's the terror of knowing what this world is about
The anxiety that stems from understanding the harsh reality of the world we live in
Watchin' some good friends screamin', "Let me out"
Witnessing the emotional distress and breakdown of close friends and loved ones
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Hoping for a better day tomorrow, with less pressure and more positivity
Pressure on people, people on streets
The domino effect of pressure leads to unrest and turmoil in society
Da-da-da, mm-mm
Instrumental
Da-da-da-ba-bum
Instrumental
Okay
Accepting the situation, despite the chaos
Chippin' around, kick my brains 'round the floor
Feeling scattered and unable to focus or be productive due to the pressure
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Experiencing a series of unfortunate events, one after another, which compounds the pressure
Ee-doh-ba-buh, ee-da-ba-ba-bop
Instrumental
Mm-bo-bop, beh-lup
Instrumental
People on streets, ee-da-dee-da-day
The pressure is causing unrest and chaos amongst the people
People on streets, ee-da-dee-da-dee-da-dee-da
The pressure is having a ripple effect, causing problems at every level of society
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Ignoring the problem and pretending it doesn't exist, similar to being blind to it
Sat on the fence but it don't work
Trying to remain neutral and uninvolved, but still being affected by the pressure
Keep comin' up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Attempting to bring love and positivity into the situation, but it's not enough to combat the pressure
Why, why, why?
Questioning the cause of the pressure
Love
The solution to the pressure and chaos
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
The overwhelming pressure can cause a mental breakdown and insanity
Can't we give ourselves one more chance?
Asking for a second chance to make things right and reduce the pressure
Why can't we give love that one more chance?
The idea that love and positivity can override pressure and chaos, if given a chance
Give love, give love, give love, give love
The solution is to give more love, understanding and compassion
Give love, give love, give love, give love?
Asking why we can't give love another chance to heal and bring peace
'Cause love's such an old-fashioned word
The word love might seem outdated, but it's still the solution to the problem
And love dares you to care for
Encouraging people to show compassion and care for others
The people on the edge of the night
Those who are struggling and in need of help
And love dares you to change our way of
Proposing a change in attitude towards love and compassion
Caring about ourselves
Focusing on the well-being of ourselves and others
This is our last dance
The situation has escalated and this might be the final attempt to make things right before it's too late
This is our last dance
Reinforcing the idea that time is running out to fix the situation
This is ourselves
Taking charge of the situation and acknowledging that it's up to us to make a change
Under pressure
The constant weight of expectations and workload that makes life difficult
Under pressure
Reinforcing the idea of being under constant stress and pressure
Pressure
The cause of chaos and turmoil in society
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
@Evacutie1234
David and Freddie are singing this in heaven
@Evacutie1234
True legends RIP David and Freddie
@colinfridd2850
F yet m8
@warrioremperor6320
Heaven doesn't exist moron
@jillmudd3224
Can’t believe two of the best both gone - but never ever ever forgotten. They live on through their music every time we play their music xxx
@andreasherrmann1129
Freddys Stimme ist wie ein Ochester
@toleenJasper
2024 and we still here💙
@vitruzicka114
...and they are still here!!!! Fredie and Davis are/were star who never dies!
@maryharris5384
My favorite, David and Freddie ! ♥️♥️♥️♥️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻, Love this song ! True Legend’s !!!!!
@benstrauss297
Two of the greatest vocalists of the 20th century!