Vaughan Williams was born on 12th October 1872 in Down Ampney, a village in the Cotswolds. After attending Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge, he became a student at the Royal College of Music; he later studied with Max Bruch in Berlin and Maurice Ravel in Paris.
He served as a lieutenant in World War I, having volunteered for the Field Ambulance Service; the appalling carnage affected him deeply, as did the deaths of close friends such as George Butterworth.
He wrote nine symphonies between 1910 and 1958, as well as numerous other works including chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also one of the first serious collectors of English folk music and served as president of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). The Society's Vaughan Williams Memorial Library is named for him.
Vaughan Williams died on 26th August 1958, and his ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey.
Fantasia on "Greensleeves"
Ralph Vaughan Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinks I love her and her alone and the pressure is on
I got a new love you see, she does new things to me
We sneak our love you's on the phone and the pressure is on
And it puts pressure on a man if he ever lets his heart call his hand
He ain't no rolling stone, but the pressure is on
Feel like your ten thousand feet down under the sea
And its crushing all your bones and the pressure is on
Run on the pressure of the steam
Lord, I could pull one a mile long 'cause the pressure is on
Lord, I could pull one a mile long 'cause the pressure is on
The pressure is on, the pressure at home
The lyrics of this song tell the story of a man who is torn between two loves: the woman he has at home whom he thinks he loves and a new love who he sneaks "love you's" with on the phone. The pressure from both loves is weighing heavily on him, as he feels like he can't make a decision without hurting someone. The line "puts pressure on a man if he ever lets his heart call his hand" suggests that he knows he will have to make a choice eventually and fears the consequences of his decision.
The imagery used in the song further illustrates the pressure he feels. The line "feel like your ten thousand feet down under the sea and it's crushing all your bones" creates a sense of suffocation and overwhelming pressure. The mention of trains in his dreams that run on steam further emphasizes the idea that he is constantly under pressure and feels like he needs to keep moving.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Pressure is On" by Hank Williams Jr. are a portrayal of the conflict that can arise when one is torn between two loves and the pressure that comes with making a decision.
Line by Line Meaning
I got someone at home, don't know whats going on
I have a significant other who believes that I love them exclusively, but secretly, I have a new love interest and feel the pressure of the situation.
Thinks I love her and her alone and the pressure is on
My significant other believes that I am only in love with them, and this places immense pressure on my situation.
I got a new love you see, she does new things to me
I have a new lover in my life, and they excite me in a way that is unusual and different from my current partner.
We sneak our love you's on the phone and the pressure is on
My new lover and I have to be secretive when we express our love for each other over the phone, adding to the pressure felt in the situation.
And it puts pressure on a man if he ever lets his heart call his hand
If a man follows his heart, it can be challenging to resist the pressure felt from the outside and stick to his beliefs and intentions.
He ain't no rolling stone, but the pressure is on
Although he is not someone who typically moves from partner to partner, the pressure of the situation can cause instability and uncertainty.
Feel like your ten thousand feet down under the sea
The pressure of the situation is so intense that it feels like being buried deep under the sea, at a depth of ten thousand feet.
And its crushing all your bones and the pressure is on
The pressure felt in the situation is so intense that it feels physically as though it is crushing one's bones and causing immense distress.
The trains I ride in my dreams
In my dreams, I often dream about trains.
Run on the pressure of the steam
The trains in my dreams run based on pressure from the steam, which is a metaphor for the pressure felt in my waking life.
Lord, I could pull one a mile long 'cause the pressure is on
'Pulling one a mile long' is a metaphor for the ability to endure a difficult situation, and in this case, the pressure felt in the current situation feels as though it could be endured for an extended period.
The pressure is on, the pressure at home
The pressure felt in the current situation is primarily coming from the pressure experienced at home.
Writer(s): RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Contributed by David B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@marvinc999
Kyra Barney -
" my favorite piece of orchestral music"
Good for you, Honey - you have EXQUISITE taste !!!
If you're really into RVW - and haven't seen it yet - then I humbly suggest you beg, borrow, or steal a copy of Tony Palmer's excellent film about him: O Thou Transcendent :
https://www.amazon.com/Thou-Transcendent-Ralph-Vaughan-Williams/dp/B00118DQX8/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1508074571&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=o+thou+transecendent
Vaya con Dios !
@AndyJarman
Your heritage is England too.
Many people born in England died and were buried in far off lands. No less English for it.
India and Britain have lived through much together and learned much from each other. It rubs off you know.
"If I should die, think only this of me:
That there’s some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England. There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam;
A body of England’s, breathing English air,
Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home."
1914 The Soldier
Rupert Brooke
(God Save the Queen!).
@edwardmeagher2816
One of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written, I’ve loved it since I was a young boy. I’m 64 now & I still get emotional when I hear it because it reminds me of someone I loved very much who I lost to tragic circumstances
@lafayette464
The country in which I was Happy and it remains always in my mind and heart. From Spain!
@martinpill8603
This is when England was England. ❤
@chrisdiverd8015
It still is. Countries change all the time, they aren’t frozen in time.
@anonanon7497
@@chrisdiverd8015 He's referring to when nations and ethnicities still had distinct identities and weren't the bland sameness that global capital has turned it into. You're statement is correct in principle but it's missing the point he is making.
@PM_ME_MESSIAEN_PICS
@@anonanon7497 when i went to england i didnt find it bland, or the same as my home country
@PM_ME_MESSIAEN_PICS
go and listen to Songs of a Mad King, i think that is especially English
@ozone1959
Yeah, but since 1706 it has been taken over by the British and they have destroyed it
@SylentEcho
When I was little, my dad would always hum this to me, when I'd be sick with Asthma. He's gone now, but I'm just glad the music remained in my head. :)
@ebertmesiascancharidelacru3669
What a nice story.