The RPO was founded in 1946 by Thomas Beecham and played its first concert in Croydon on September 15, 1946. Beecham was principal conductor until his death in 1961. He was followed by then assistant conductor Rudolf Kempe, who was given the title of Conductor for Life in 1970. Subsequent musical directors and principal conductors have been Antal Doráti (1975-78), Walter Weller (1980-85), André Previn (1985-92), Vladimir Ashkenazy (1987-94). Yuri Temirkanov was appointed principal conductor in 1992, and Daniele Gatti music director in 1996.
The orchestra toured the United States in 1950, thus becoming the first British orchestra to visit America since the London Symphony Orchestra in 1912.
As well as performing works from the classical repertoire, the RPO has recorded a number of film scores, including those for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Red Shoes.
Associated with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, which is devoted to playing lighter classics. It was formed in 1987.
They had a single in the summer of 1981 called Hooked On Classics and also another single which was the BBC Grandstand Theme in 1982.
Under Pressure
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Um bum ba de
Um bu bu bum da de
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Under pressure that brings a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
Um ba ba be
De day da
Ee day da - that's okay
It's the terror of knowing
What the world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people people on streets
Day day de mm hm
Da da da ba ba
Okay
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Ee do ba be
Ee da ba ba ba
Um bo bo
Be lap
People on streets - ee da de da de
People on streets - ee da de da de da de 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 a fence but it don't work
Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Why - why - why?
Love love love love 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 give love
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night
And loves (People on streets) 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 lyrics to The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's song "Under Pressure" speak to the immense pressure that people face in their everyday lives. The lines "Pressure pushing down on me / Pressing down on you no man ask for" illustrate the weight of the world on our shoulders. The pressure can be so intense it can tear families apart and leave people without homes, as expressed by "Under pressure that brings a building down / Splits a family in two / Puts people on streets." The song further explores the terror of knowing what the world is about and the struggle to cope with the constant stress and strain.
The chorus talks about the pressure that people face every day, with "Pressure on people, people on streets" suggesting just how universal this sense of pressure can be. The song speaks to the exhaustion, frustration, and pain that comes with living under the weight of these struggles. The lines "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" suggest that breaking under pressure is not caused by inherent human weakness but is instead an unnecessary result of societal pressures. Instead, people should look for ways to support one another, make change, and dare to love those on the edge of the night.
Line by Line Meaning
Mm ba ba de
Vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Um bum ba de
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Um bu bu bum da de
More additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Pressure pushing down on me
The force of circumstances causing me stress
Pressing down on you no man ask for
The force of circumstances causing you stress, even though you did not ask for it
Under pressure that brings a building down
Extreme stress can cause a physical collapse, like a building falling apart
Splits a family in two
Stress and pressure can cause conflict and division within a family
Puts people on streets
Stress and pressure can cause financial difficulties and homelessness
Um ba ba be
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Um ba ba be
More additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
De day da
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Ee day da - that's okay
Everything is okay
It's the terror of knowing
The fear that comes with understanding something
What the world is about
Understanding the reality of the world we live in
Watching some good friends
Observing friends who are struggling
Screaming 'Let me out'
Expressing the desire to escape from difficult situations or emotions
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Hopeful that tomorrow will be better than today
Pressure on people people on streets
The stress and pressure felt by individuals can lead to negative consequences, like homelessness
Day day de mm hm
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Da da da ba ba
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Okay
Acknowledgement or agreement
Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor
Feeling overwhelmed and stressed out
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Difficult times when everything seems to go wrong at once
Ee do ba be
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Ee da ba ba ba
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Um bo bo
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
Be lap
Additional vocal sounds without a specific meaning
People on streets - ee da de da de
People experiencing the negative consequences of stress and pressure
People on streets - ee da de da de da de da
More people experiencing the negative consequences of stress and pressure
It's the terror of knowing
The fear that comes with understanding something
What this world is about
Understanding the reality of the world we live in
Watching some good friends
Observing friends who are struggling
Screaming 'Let me out'
Expressing the desire to escape from difficult situations or emotions
Pray tomorrow - gets me higher high
Hopeful that tomorrow will be better than today
Pressure on people people on streets
The stress and pressure felt by individuals can lead to negative consequences, like homelessness
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Ignoring or avoiding the difficult situations and emotions
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Trying to remain neutral or indecisive, but it's not effective
Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Continuing to try to make things better through love, but it's not working
Why - why - why?
Questioning the reasons for the current situation
Love love love love love
The power and importance of love
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
The negative effects of stress on mental health
Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Asking for a second chance to fix the situation
Why can't we give love that one more chance
Asking for more love, compassion, and empathy to fix the situation
Why can't we give love give love give love give love
Repeating the message of needing more love, compassion, and empathy
Give love give love give love give love give love
Continuing to emphasize the importance of love
'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
Stating that love is a simple and timeless concept
And love dares you to care for
Love challenges you to be considerate and compassionate towards others
The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night
People who are struggling or experiencing difficult times
And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of
Love challenges you to change the way we treat each other
Caring about ourselves
Prioritizing our own needs and interests without considering others
This is our last dance
This is the final opportunity to make things right
This is our last dance
Repeating the message of this being the final opportunity to make things right
This is ourselves
This is who we are, and we need to take responsibility to make things better
Under pressure
Being stressed and under pressure
Under pressure
Repeating the message of being stressed and under pressure
Pressure
The force of difficult circumstances causing stress and anxiety
Lyrics © 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