Under Pressure
The Used & My Chemical Romance Lyrics


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Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you no man ask for
Ooh, under pressure
That burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets
Ba-ba-beh, ba-ba-beh
Be-day-da, be-day-da
That's okay
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends scream, "Let me out"
Pray tomorrow takes me higher
Pressure on people, people on streets

Dee-day-da (dee-day-da)

Chippin' around
Kick my brains 'round the floor
These are the days
It never rains but it pours
Ba-ba-dah, ba-ba-dah
Ba-ba-dah, ba-ba-dah
People on streets
Ba-de-dah-da
People on streets
Ba-dah-dee-da, dee-da, dee-da, dee-da

And it's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends scream, "Let me out"
Pray tomorrow takes me high, higher

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 cracking
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 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, under pressure

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Used & My Chemical Romance's song Under Pressure describe the overwhelming feelings of living in a world filled with pressure and terror. The first verse acknowledges the reality of living in a society where there is constant pressure on individuals, with the second line stating that it affects everyone, not just one person. The chorus emphasizes the terror of knowing what the world is about and the feeling of being trapped, with the repetition of "ba-ba-beh, ba-ba-beh" adding to the building tension. The second verse describes the mental toll that living in a high-pressure environment can have on an individual, using the metaphor of "chipping around" to show the thought process of someone who is overwhelmed. The final verse acknowledges that love is often difficult to find and maintain, with the "insanity laughs" representing the realization that society's pressure and terror can drive individuals to break down.


Overall, the song explores the themes of societal pressures, mental health, and the struggle to maintain love and happiness in a difficult environment. The repetition throughout the song creates a building sense of tension and urgency, reflecting the overwhelming feelings described in the lyrics. The final lines, "This is our last dance / This is ourselves / Under pressure," suggest that this is the final chance to overcome these pressures and find a way to live in a more fulfilling way.


Line by Line Meaning

Pressure pushing down on me
I feel overwhelmingly burdened


Pressing down on you no man ask for
You are also under immense pressure without any request for it


Ooh, under pressure
We are both struggling under the weight of this pressure


That burns a building down
The pressure can cause destruction and chaos


Splits a family in two
The pressure can tear apart relationships and families


Puts people on streets
The pressure can lead to homelessness and displacement


Ba-ba-beh, ba-ba-beh
Soothing sounds to calm us down during this stressful time


Be-day-da, be-day-da
More calming sounds to try to ease the tension


That's okay
It's alright to not be okay during this time


It's the terror of knowing
The pressure is terrifying because we know what it can do to us and our lives


What this world is about
The pressure is a reminder of the harsh realities and struggles of life


Watching some good friends scream, "Let me out"
We witness how the pressure can push our loved ones to their breaking point


Pray tomorrow takes me higher
We hope that tomorrow will bring relief and some respite from the pressure


Pressure on people, people on streets
The pressure can lead to societal issues such as poverty, homelessness, and desperation


Chippin' around
We are struggling and trying our best to handle the pressure


Kick my brains 'round the floor
The pressure can leave us feeling disoriented and confused


These are the days
These difficult times are all we know at the moment


It never rains but it pours
When it rains, it pours - meaning when bad things happen, they tend to happen all at once


People on streets
The pressure can lead to homelessness and people forced to live on the streets


And it's the terror of knowing
Reaffirming that the pressure is terrifying


Watching some good friends scream, "Let me out"
Reiterating that this intense pressure can push people to their limits


Pray tomorrow takes me high, higher
We hold onto hope that things will get better soon


Turned away from it all like a blind man
We may be trying to ignore or avoid the pressure, but it's impossible to fully escape it


Sat on a fence but it don't work
Sitting on the fence, trying to be neutral, isn't effective in dealing with the pressure


Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Love is important, but it may not be enough when we're facing such intense pressure


Why? Why? Why?
Searching for answers and explanations for why we're feeling this intense pressure


Love, love, love (love, love)
Repeatedly affirming the importance of love during hard times


Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
The pressure can make us feel like we're losing our minds and on the brink of crumbling


Can't we give ourselves one more chance
Urging ourselves to keep trying and not give up under the pressure


Why can't we give love that one more chance
Encouraging us to keep loving and supporting each other, even when it feels difficult


Why can't we give love, give love, give love, give love, give love
Emphasizing the need for love, and repeating that we should keep giving it


Give love, give love, give love, give love
Reiterating the importance of love and how we should keep giving it


'Cause love's such an old fashioned word
Acknowledging that love may seem outdated or cheesy, but it's still important


And love dares you to care for
Love challenges us to care for others, even when it's hard


The people on the edge of the night
The people who are struggling the most, especially during dark or difficult times


And love dares you to change our way of
Love challenges us to change the way we've been doing things, to find a new way forward


Caring about ourselves
Encouraging us to prioritize caring for ourselves as well as others


This is our last dance
This may feel like our last chance to make things right or improve our lives


This is our last dance
Repeating that we need to make the most of this chance to dance, to live our lives to the fullest


This is ourselves
Reminding us that this is who we are, and we need to face the pressure head-on as our true selves


Under pressure
Summing up the entire song - we're under a lot of pressure and are struggling, but we're facing it together


Under pressure, under pressure
Repeating the point that we're really under a lot of pressure right now




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
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@caifabe8050

I imagine it more like:

Quinn: Okay I think we've got everyone.
Mikey: What about me? Where's my bass? 2 vocalists, 2 drummers, 3 guitarists, why only 1 bass?
Gerard: The song only really requires one bass.
Mikey: We can both play the same part just doubled?
Jeph: It doesn't really work like that, man.
Frank: Yeah, too much low end muddies up the mix and this is being professionally recorded for TV so it needs to sound clear.
Mikey: Can I play something else?
Gerard, Bert and Ray: frantically searching for something
Mikey: Hey guys I found a tambourine.
Ray: But we don't have anything to mic or amplify it with.
Mikey: I don't care if they can't hear me. I just want to be doing something.
Bert: Oh, um....... okay sure, yeah.
Mikey: Can I stand on Bob's drum riser?
Bob: Remember when Frank did that on TRL?
Frank: laughing Oh yeah, that was fucking PRICELESS
Mikey: I promise I'm not gonna stand on your bass drum.
Bob: Alright. But if you knock my set over I'm kicking your ass on the bus.
Mikey: OKAYS
band goes on stage



@tym6136

this is how i imagine it went down...

gerard: "i just dont think two bassists is necessary"
everyone else: *agreeing *
ray: "what will mikey play then?"
gerard: "i dont fuckin know"
bert: *runs from the corner and trows a tambourine at mikey * "play that, its the most important part of the song, like what amazing song doesnt have tambourine?"
gerard: "good idea bert"
mikey: *sighs and takes the tambourine * "whatever, lets go preform"



All comments from YouTube:

@Rickprimest

Not one bottle of shampoo was purchased on this tour.

@Scoot694

I believe it

@marissaa.4861

I laughed way too fuckin hard at this comment

@Corazon-gu5ti

Ahahaha

@richardace4029

Zach Blackwell I see no lice... oops I mean lies. 😂😂😂

@ysgbakehouse

😂😂😂

48 More Replies...

@akirahikari5471

Let's talk about Mikey, alright?
1. Do you even hear what he does with the tambourine?
2. He basically moved more energetic than normally, which is... weird. And scary.

@donteatcrayons5511

The tambourine brings out the best in people

@renzarrubio1839

O'Hare Safe Air facts

@Fa5Squad

Cuz he's gay

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