Under Pressure
Queen David Bowie and Annie Lennox Lyrics

Mm ba ba de
Sounds indicating the beginning of the song, with no specific meaning

Um bum ba de
More sounds indicating the beginning of the song, with no specific meaning

Um bu bu bum da de
More sounds indicating the beginning of the song, with no specific meaning

Pressure pushing down on me
The feeling of stress and weight that is pressing on the artist

Pressing down on you no man ask for
The same stress and weight is also affecting the people around the artist without their permission

Under pressure that brings a building down
The amount of pressure they are experiencing can cause even strong structures or systems to collapse

Splits a family in two
The pressure can also cause interpersonal relationships to break and divide those who were once united

Puts people on streets
The extreme pressure can force people to lose their homes and leave them homeless and destitute

Um ba ba be
Repetition of the sounds heard at the beginning of the song, with no specific meaning

De day da
Another set of sounds with no specific meaning

Ee day da - that's okay
More sounds with no specific meaning indicating that everything is okay

It's the terror of knowing
The overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety that comes with understanding the reality of the world

What the world is about
Understanding the harsh realities of life on this planet

Watching some good friends
Seeing people close to the singer going through the same struggles and pressures

Screaming 'Let me out'
The extreme pressure can make people feel trapped and desperate to escape from it all

Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Hoping that things will get better and that the pressure will lessen

Pressure on people people on streets
Repeating the idea that the pressure that people are facing is affecting everyone and impacting their entire lives

Day day de mm hm
More sounds with no specific meaning

Da da da ba ba
More sounds indicating the intensity of the pressure

Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
The artist is feeling scattered and frantic, as if their thoughts are being kicked around uncontrollably

These are the days it never rains but it pours
The artist is experiencing an overwhelming amount of pressure and difficulty all at once, without any chance for relief

Ee do ba be
More sounds with no specific meaning

Ee da ba ba ba
More sounds with no specific meaning

Um bo bo
More sounds indicating the emotional tension of the song

Be lap
More sounds indicating the emotional tension of the song

People on streets - ee da de da de
Repeating the idea that the pressure that people are facing is affecting everyone and impacting their entire lives

People on streets - ee da de da de da de da
Repeating the idea that the pressure that people are facing is affecting everyone and impacting their entire lives, with more emphasis

Turned away from it all like a blind man
The artist is feeling overwhelmed and unable to handle the pressure, and is turning away from it as if they cannot see it

Sat on a fence but it don't work
Trying to remain neutral or indecisive in the face of pressure is not effective and does not solve anything

Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn
The singer is trying to remain hopeful and positive, but they are finding it difficult in the face of the challenges they are facing

Why - why - why?
Expressing frustration and confusion about why things are so difficult and the pressure is so intense

Love love love love love
The idea that despite the difficulties, love is still a fundamental force in the world

Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
The immense pressure that people are facing can lead to emotional instability and even a sense of madness

Can't we give ourselves one more chance
The artist is hopeful that despite the difficulty, people can come together and find a way to make things better

Why can't we give love that one more chance
Emphasizing the importance of love and positivity, and hoping that people can come together and focus on that

Give love give love give love give love
Repeating the idea of the importance of love and emphasizing its power

Give love give love give love give love give love
Repeating the idea of the importance of love and emphasizing its power, with more emphasis

'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
Even though love is still important, it is often overlooked or seen as irrelevant in modern times

And love dares you to care for
Love challenges people to care for others and to put aside their own needs and desires in order to help those around them

The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night
Those who are in the most need of help and support, often on the fringes of society and unseen by most people

And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of
The power of love challenges people to change the way they live and to prioritize caring for others over their own needs and desires

Caring about ourselves
Emphasizing the need to shift focus away from individualism and towards collective support and care for others

This is our last dance
The singer is expressing that this is the final chance to make a change and come together to support one another

Under pressure
Repeating the phrase that has been used throughout the song to symbolize the immense pressure that people are facing

Pressure
A final emphasis on the idea of pressure, to drive home the intensity of the challenges that people are facing